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Tag: Donald Trump
October 21, 2024
Crime
Lawfare

The Central Park Five Are Suing Trump. Here’s Why.

The five men convicted but later exonerated in the Central Park Five case are filing a defamation lawsuit against former President Donald J. Trump, stemming from remarks the Republican nominee made during the recent 2024 presidential debate. During the debate, Trump said of Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise, “They admitted, they said, they pled guilty.”

Lodged in a federal court in Pennsylvania, the lawsuit claims Trump’s remarks are defamatory towards the five men. The plaintiffs allege that Trump’s statement was untrue as the five then-teenagers never entered guilty pleas—although they did offer confessions related to the rape and near-killing of Trisha Meili, who had been jogging through Central Park in New York City on April 19, 1989. They were convicted of a range of charges, although all but Richards were cleared of attempted murder. Wise was also cleared of rape but convicted of other charges, including assault and sexual abuse.

While Trump appeared to suggest Meili was “badly hurt” and “ultimately killed,” she is still alive—expressing her unhappiness with the five receiving an eight-figure settlement in 2019.

CONVICTIONS OVERTURNED.

In 2002, the five men saw their convictions overturned after a sixth individual confessed to the rape. Matias Reyes’s confession was later confirmed by DNA evidence. New York City later settled a civil suit with the five men for $41 million in 2014.

The issue resurfaced during the debate when Kamala Harris referenced Trump’s 1989 full-page newspaper ads advocating for the death penalty for the men. Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous” and politically motivated—Yusef Salaam is now a member of the New York City Council for the Democrats.

ATTACK DETAILS STILL MURKY. 

Outside the attack on Meili, the then-teenagers had been part of a larger group of kids, estimated at 32 in total, who had set upon Central Park on the evening of April 19 and attacked numerous joggers. In an untaped confession, Salaam allegedly admitted to striking a female jogger with a lead pipe.

Despite Reyes’s confession to the crime, a subsequent report by the New York Police Department questioned whether the man was truthful in his insistence he acted alone. Doctors who treated Meili argue her injuries suggested multiple attackers.

Image by Maysles Documentary Center.

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The five men convicted but later exonerated in the Central Park Five case are filing a defamation lawsuit against former President Donald J. Trump, stemming from remarks the Republican nominee made during the recent 2024 presidential debate. During the debate, Trump said of Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise, "They admitted, they said, they pled guilty." show more
October 21, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024

Over 15 Million People Have Already Voted in America’s Presidential Election.

With just two weeks until Election Day, over 15 million people have already voted in the U.S. election. According to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab, five million people have voted early in person, and another 10 million have voted by mail. There are over 56 million mail-in ballot requests, meaning around 46 million remain outstanding.

During the 2020 presidential election, over 65.5 million mail-in ballots were cast. In total, 2020 saw over 155 million people vote, the highest turnout—by percentage—since 1900. While turnout in the 2024 election may not match that seen in 2020, early indications suggest the presidential contest will still see a significant number of votes cast—and that should actually bode well for former President Donald J. Trump.

ARIZONA & NEVADA.

In Arizona, early vote totals show Republicans outpacing Democrats and Independents in terms of ballots returned by low-propensity voters. These Americans, who have not voted or only voted once in the last several elections, are anticipated to play an outsized role in the 2024 election and determine whether President Trump or his Democratic Party opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, takes the White House.

Similarly to Arizona, Nevada’s early vote appears to be breaking fairly heavily towards Republicans—while Democrats hold the advantage on the state’s mail-in ballots.

Again—like Arizona—Republicans in Nevada appear to be moving low-propensity voters, while Democrats seem to be mostly reliant on voters who have consistently voted in the past several elections.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Meanwhile, one state where turnout appears to be lagging—and where lower turnout could be a good sign for Republicans—is Pennslyvania. As of noon on October 21, Republicans continue to outpace Democrats in absentee ballot requests. Interestingly, the total number of requests among Democrats is currently down from their 2020 totals by around 1.2 million, while Republicans are only off by about 250,000.

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With just two weeks until Election Day, over 15 million people have already voted in the U.S. election. According to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab, five million people have voted early in person, and another 10 million have voted by mail. There are over 56 million mail-in ballot requests, meaning around 46 million remain outstanding. show more
October 21, 2024
Lawfare
Politics

SCOTUS Tells Michael Cohen to Pound Sand.

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court rejected an attempt by disgraced attorney Michael Cohen to keep alive a retaliation lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump.

Cohen alleges Trump retaliated against him, causing his return to prison from home confinement over a critical, tell-all book written by the disbarred lawyer.

The Supreme Court’s decision—which included no comment on the case itself—leaves a string of lower court rulings in place, which dismissed Cohen’s lawsuit based on a 1971 Supreme Court decision. Cohen’s lawsuit was initially dismissed by a U.S. District Court, with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the ruling this past January.

Cohen, once a confidant and legal advisor to Trump, shifted to being an outspoken critic in 2018 after pleading guilty to several felonies. These included his involvement in an alleged “hush money” scheme related to the 2016 presidential election. Originally serving a 36-month sentence beginning in May 2019, Cohen was later released to home confinement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, he publicized a forthcoming book critical of Trump.

In July 2020, Cohen met with probation officers who asked him to sign an agreement that required him to refrain from media appearances and not use social media. When Cohen refused to sign and attempted to negotiate a new agreement, he was returned to prison and, according to court records, spent 16 days in solitary confinement.

A federal court subsequently ordered Cohen to be again released on home confinement after his brief return to prison.

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On Monday, the United States Supreme Court rejected an attempt by disgraced attorney Michael Cohen to keep alive a retaliation lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump. show more
October 21, 2024
Raheem J. Kassam
News

New Anti-Trump Ad Funded By Democrat Who Said Butler Shooting Was ‘Staged.’

An anti-Trump, full-page advertisement in today’s New York Times has been bankrolled by a shadowy Democrat figure who recently claimed President Trump’s near-assassination was “staged,” demanding the establishment media cover it as such, The National Pulse can reveal.

Dmitri Mehlhorn, the founder of the ‘Oakland Corps,’ the group responsible for today’s advertisement, is a close associate of Democrat mega-donor Reid Hoffman, who funded E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump, as well as financially backing Nikki Haley and the far-left blogging site MeidasTouch. Hoffman himself is a long-time associate of the now-deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Recently, billionaire Elon Musk suggested that many top left-wing figures are concerned Trump will release files related to Epstein.

Mehlhorn’s Oakland Corps appears to be a hastily slapped-together group consisting of ‘White Dudes for Harris’ and other astroturfed operations. His website even uses fake, stock imagery (below) in an attempt to mislead people about the group’s supporter base.

Faked stock image from Oakland Corps website.
Original image found online.

The advertisement in today’s New York Times claims: “[Trump] is a proven abuser. This is not a matter of opinion; it is fact. A second Trump term would pose multiple dangers to our democracy—not least of which is the dangerous daily message it would send, through his presence and his policies, that sexual or gender-based violence of any kind is normal, unavoidable, and something the American people should accept. We will not accept that.”

In an e-mail sent to D.C. political types and news reporters in the immediate aftermath of the first Trump assassination (Butler) attempt, Mehlhorn wrote of the “possibility — which feels horrific and alien and absurd in America, but is quite common globally… that this ‘shooting’ was encouraged and maybe even staged so Trump could get the photos and benefit from the backlash.”

He added: “This is a classic Russian tactic, such as when Putin killed 300 civilians in 1999 and blamed it on terrorists to ride the backlash to winning power. Others who have embraced this tactic of committing raw evil and then benefitting from the backlash include Hamas on October 7. If any Trump officials encouraged or knew of this attack, that is morally horrific, and Republicans of decency must demand that Trump step down as unfit.”

“I know I am prone to bias on this, but this is a classic Putin play and given the facts seems more plausible. Look at the actual shot. Look at the staging. Look at how ready Trump is to rally; this pampered baby shit his pants when an eagle lunged at his food. Look at how quickly Trump protects himself at the expense of others, but showed few of those lifelong instincts in this moment. And consider how often Putin and his allies run this play,” Mehlhorn concluded.

His email was not well received, eliciting shock and mockery. Soon after, he parted ways with Hoffman.

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An anti-Trump, full-page advertisement in today's New York Times has been bankrolled by a shadowy Democrat figure who recently claimed President Trump's near-assassination was "staged," demanding the establishment media cover it as such, The National Pulse can reveal. show more
October 21, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Election 2024
Lawfare

Mitch McConnell Backs Jack Smith, Says Trump Must ‘Pay a Price.’

In a biography set to release just before the election, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell openly sides with Biden-Harris special counsel Jack Smith and expresses his hope that former President Donald J. Trump will “pay a price” for his alleged role in January 6. McConnell’s statements to journalist Michael Tackett for The Price of Power reflect the 82-year-old’s ongoing antipathy to Trump, despite their shared party affiliation.

McConnell’s endorsement of the lawfare campaign against the America First leader reveals just how deep his bitterness runs. “If he hasn’t committed indictable offenses, I don’t know what one is,” McConnell complains. He insists, “…there’s no doubt who inspired [January 6], and I just hope that he’ll have to pay a price for it.”

The book also reveals that McConnell seriously considered voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment in 2021.

Other excerpts from the book reveal McConnell complaining Trump is “a despicable human being” and that he “started to sob softly” as he addressed staffers following January 6.

Despite his public statements and private criticisms, McConnell endorsed Trump for president in March 2024, stating passive-aggressively that “Whatever I may have said about President Trump pales in comparison to what J.D. Vance, Lindsey Graham, and others have said about him, but we are all on the same team now.”

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In a biography set to release just before the election, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell openly sides with Biden-Harris special counsel Jack Smith and expresses his hope that former President Donald J. Trump will "pay a price" for his alleged role in January 6. McConnell’s statements to journalist Michael Tackett for The Price of Power reflect the 82-year-old's ongoing antipathy to Trump, despite their shared party affiliation. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
One of the more concerning parts of this is that McConnell staffers and allies are still working in senior positions around Trump
for exclusive members-only insights
One of the more concerning parts of this is that McConnell staffers and allies are still working in senior positions around Trump show more
for exclusive members-only insights
October 20, 2024
Election 2024
NatSec

Trump Refuses to Embroil U.S. in Regime Change for Iran.

Former President Donald J. Trump says the United States should take a cautious approach to Iran and not get overly involved in any attempts to forcibly change the country’s government. Speaking with podcaster Patrick Bet-David on October 17, Trump was asked whether the U.S. government should back efforts to restore the family of the late Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to power.

“We can’t get totally involved in all that. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it,” Trump said.

During the discussion, Trump addressed the Iran nuclear deal, which he terminated during his presidency. He also touched on the sanctions imposed on Iran and the nature of his administration’s interactions with it. Despite his stance against Iran having nuclear capabilities, Trump expressed a desire for the nation to prosper, stating, “I’d like to see Iran be very successful. The only thing is, they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

The sanctions regime against Iran, instituted under then-President Trump in 2019, crippled the Islamic Republic’s ability to sell oil abroad and finance its terrorist proxies across the Middle East. Instead of just hitting Iranian exporters, Trump’s sanctions also targeted other countries that purchased the rogue nation’s oil.

Iran went from exporting roughly 1.8 million barrels of crude oil daily in 2017 to a historic low of under 500,000 barrels per day in 2020. In addition, the Trump sanctions cut Iran’s GPD nearly in half between 2017 and 2020, dropping from almost $500 billion to just $240 billion.

However, following the 2020 election, the Biden-Harris government removed many of the Trump sanctions, allowing the Iranian economy and its terror financing to rebound. Currently, Iran exports around 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, and its GDP had recovered to $413 billion as of 2022.

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Former President Donald J. Trump says the United States should take a cautious approach to Iran and not get overly involved in any attempts to forcibly change the country's government. Speaking with podcaster Patrick Bet-David on October 17, Trump was asked whether the U.S. government should back efforts to restore the family of the late Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to power. show more
October 18, 2024
Election 2024

Could Nikki Haley Be an October Surprise?

Nikki Haley is in talks to join President Donald J. Trump on the campaign trail, to appeal to soft-Republican and women voters. While specific plans have not been finalized, it is anticipated they may appear together at a town hall event later this month. This event could potentially involve Fox News host Sean Hannity.

The Trump campaign has worked to close the gap with Vice President Kamala Harris in terms of support among women voters. As part of the effort, Trump has held town halls moderated by female political figures since August.

After Haley ended a personally bruising primary campaign as the last Republican contender against Trump, she belatedly endorsed him, speaking at the Republican National Convention in July. However, she has not publicly appeared with Trump since then.

During the Republican presidential primary, Haley relied predominantly on moderate and, in states with open primaries, Democratic voters to keep her long-shot bid for the party’s nomination alive. Along with Haley’s alignment with the anti-Trump Kochs, her campaign’s strategy to cultivate anti-Trump Democrats became a point of tension for many Republicans.

While suggesting on her new SiriusXM satellite radio program last month that tensions still exist between her and Trump, Haley affirmed she is backing the Republican nominee in November.

The Trump campaign is also aware of outreach efforts by Vice President Kamala Harris, who is attempting to sway Haley’s former supporters. Harris’s team has emphasized courting Republicans, going so far as to tout endorsements from the deeply unpopular former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Representative Liz Cheney.

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Nikki Haley is in talks to join President Donald J. Trump on the campaign trail, to appeal to soft-Republican and women voters. While specific plans have not been finalized, it is anticipated they may appear together at a town hall event later this month. This event could potentially involve Fox News host Sean Hannity. show more
October 18, 2024
William Upton
Data
Election 2024

Trump Bursts Through 50% Mark in Arizona.

The latest election data from the critical swing state of Arizona shows that President Donald J. Trump is leading his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, 51 to 48 percent. With just over two-and-a-half weeks until Election Day, Trump’s three-point lead indicates that the Republican nominee is gaining momentum—likely across the entire Sun Belt.

According to YouGov’s survey conducted between October 11 and 16 on behalf of CBS, nearly 70 percent of Arizonans say things in America today are going somewhat or very badly. Meanwhile, 65 percent of those surveyed say they believe the current economic conditions are fairly or very bad.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents indicate they frequently think about the 2024 presidential election, while an additional 26 percent say they think about the race at least some of the time. When asked if they would reconsider supporting either Trump or Harris, over 90 percent of respondents indicated their minds were made up—suggesting the electorate has calcified in the closing days of the presidential race. Also troubling for the Harris campaign, nearly 60 percent of Trump voters indicated they’re supporting the Republican nominee because they like him as a candidate. Just 44 percent said the same of Harris.

THE ECONOMY.

The economy dominates as the top issue for Arizona voters. An overwhelming 82 percent of respondents listed it as a major factor in their candidate choice. Notably, Arizona and Nevada are two states that have reported being hit especially hard by inflation and high prices under the Biden-Harris government.

Among those surveyed, 49 percent said they believe their financial situation will be worse under Harris, while 30 percent say they’d be better off. Conversely, 46 percent said they believe they’ll be better off under Trump, with 39 percent saying they would be worse off.

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The latest election data from the critical swing state of Arizona shows that President Donald J. Trump is leading his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, 51 to 48 percent. With just over two-and-a-half weeks until Election Day, Trump's three-point lead indicates that the Republican nominee is gaining momentum—likely across the entire Sun Belt. show more
Purchased by The National Pulse
October 18, 2024
Election 2024
NatSec

‘Another Butler Can and *WILL* Happen,’ Says Biden’s Own Homeland Security Report.

An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has issued a scathing report, warning that similar incidents “can and will happen again” unless the Secret Service undergoes serious reforms. The 35-page report, commissioned by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, highlights critical errors made on July 13, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump, wounding him in the ear, killing rallygoer Corey Comperatore, and seriously injuring others.

The panel criticized the Secret Service for its complacency and lack of strategic foresight, calling for new leadership to address the agency’s systemic issues. “The Secret Service has become bureaucratic, complacent, and static, despite evolving risks and technological advancements,” the report states. It details major lapses, including the failure to secure the roof of a building from which Crooks fired and significant communication breakdowns.

The report dedicated itself to honoring Crooks’s victims but stressed that many of the security personnel involved had done little self-reflection in the aftermath of the attack.

The panel’s findings mirrored those of a Senate Homeland Security report, which also condemned the Secret Service’s handling of the Butler rally. The report criticized agents for showing a “surprising lack of rigor” in assessing the risks, with one senior agent even unaware of the basic layout of the venue.

The panel urged the Secret Service to bring in new leadership from outside the agency, warning that without fundamental reforms, future attacks could be inevitable.

Trump recently returned to Butler for a rally, paying tribute to Comperatore and the others affected by the attack.

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An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has issued a scathing report, warning that similar incidents "can and will happen again" unless the Secret Service undergoes serious reforms. The 35-page report, commissioned by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, highlights critical errors made on July 13, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump, wounding him in the ear, killing rallygoer Corey Comperatore, and seriously injuring others. show more
October 18, 2024
Crime
Election 2024
Election Integrity

Letters Threaten Trump Supporters, Their Families, and Their Pets.

Residents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, report receiving threatening letters in the mail, some with a replica of a Donald Trump campaign letterhead, cautioning against voting for Trump. The letters start with a cordial salutation but swiftly devolve into menacing language.

“Your candidate is a felon, rapist, desecrator, an immoral flawed man. He is a major reason violence us [sic] up, remember January 6th and Charlottesville?” the letter seen by The Post Millennial rails.

“By supporting him, you are declaring your public support for a disregard of the law, civil discourse and unity. You are indicating your hatred for minorities, immigrants, foreigners, women, education, the rights of your fellow citizens, the rights of women to make decisions over their own healthcare needs. Oh and yes a hatred for Taylor Swift,” it continues, threatening: “[W]e know where you live, you are in the data base [sic]. In the dead of a cold winters night, this year, or next and beyond, there is no knowing what may happen. Your property, your family, may be impacted, your cat may get shot. And more.”

“Your vote for this guy is seen as treading on my rights. You tread on me at your peril, motherf***er,” it concludes, adding, “We look forward to visiting in future.”

Janet, a resident of Penn Valley, disclosed her receipt of one such letter. She submitted a police report to the Lower Merion Police, but they indicated that an investigation would not progress due to a lack of video evidence.

Additional letters were received by other homeowners in the area, some directly in mailboxes without postage, according to sources contacted by The Post Millennial.

READ:

Source: The Post Millennial.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Residents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, report receiving threatening letters in the mail, some with a replica of a Donald Trump campaign letterhead, cautioning against voting for Trump. The letters start with a cordial salutation but swiftly devolve into menacing language. show more