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Tag: Donald Trump
February 2, 2024
William Upton
News

E. Jean Carroll’s Lawyer Says She Made ‘Charming’ Trump Pause Mar-a-Lago Deposition So She Could Have a Free Lunch.

Roberta Kaplan, the attorney who represented E. Jean Carroll in her defamation lawsuits against former President Donald Trump, admits she paused a deposition of the former President at Mar-a-Lago to casually break for a ‘free lunch.’ Trump had requested the two sides work through lunch and finish the deposition, but Kaplan protested. According to Kaplan, the former President became frustrated and scattered papers across the table.

Trump allegedly asked Kaplan where she planned to get lunch since leaving Mar-a-Lago would delay the deposition further. When Kaplan informed the former President she was under the impression his private Palm Beach, Florida club would provide the meal, she claims Trump angrily left the room.

Upon his return, Kaplan said, “And he said, ‘Well, I told you,’ — it was kind of charming — he said, ‘I told you, I told them to make you really bad sandwiches, but they can’t help themselves here. We have the best sandwiches,’” Kaplan said, recalling the conversation while speaking with Sarah Longwell on the George Conway Explains it All podcast.

Kaplan, a long-time legal opponent of Trump, was deposing the former President for a lawsuit alleging he had engaged in a fraudulent marketing company. The lawsuit — unrelated to E. Jean Carroll’s defamation litigation — was dismissed by a federal judge in January.

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Roberta Kaplan, the attorney who represented E. Jean Carroll in her defamation lawsuits against former President Donald Trump, admits she paused a deposition of the former President at Mar-a-Lago to casually break for a 'free lunch.' Trump had requested the two sides work through lunch and finish the deposition, but Kaplan protested. According to Kaplan, the former President became frustrated and scattered papers across the table. show more

Editor’s Notes

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

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
I reckon she could stand to skip a lunch or two
for exclusive members-only insights
I reckon she could stand to skip a lunch or two show more
for exclusive members-only insights
February 2, 2024
William Upton
Media
News
Politics

Kassam: E. Jean Carroll’s Giddy Media Tour Is ‘Laughing In The Face of Real Rape Victims.’

The National Pulse’s editor-in-chief Raheem Kassam appeared on One America News’s (OAN) Tipping Point, detailing the bizarre post-defamation trial behavior of E. Jean Carroll. The writer and advice columnist who last week won a ‘ludicrous’ $83.3 million judgment against former President Donald Trump has undertaken a whirlwind media tour, most recently appearing on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show.

Carroll, appearing giddy, offered to take the liberal MSNBC host shopping for a completely new wardrobe adding, “Rachel, what do you want? A penthouse? It’s yours, Rachel!” As she continued, Carroll’s plans for spending the judgment became more nonsensical with her suggesting to Maddow they go fishing in France. For her part, Carroll appears to sincerely enjoy the newfound media attention, going so far as to throw a victory party at the ‘Flower Shop’ bar in the Lower East Side.

Speaking with OAN’s Kara McKinney, Kassam noted the grotesque nature of the public display Carroll has put on since her legal victory against Trump. Addressing Carroll’s changing story and off-color comments before, during, and after her two defamation trials against the former President, he explained: “They’ve given us an insight into a character who is – appears to be – wildly delusional.”

“Remember what we’re talking about here. This is a situation where she is alleging and continues to allege – and it’s not allowed now to have any pushback for fear of defamation cases – that a man, Donald Trump in this instance, forced himself on her,” Kassam told Kinney, before continuing: “And yet she’s on national television joking about shopping sprees and fishing trips and laughing along.”

He added: “They’re laughing in our faces. They’re laughing in President Trump’s face… They’re laughing in the faces of ordinary Americans. And quite frankly they’re laughing in the face of rape victims with this attitude. This cavalier attitude. This political attitude.”

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The National Pulse's editor-in-chief Raheem Kassam appeared on One America News's (OAN) Tipping Point, detailing the bizarre post-defamation trial behavior of E. Jean Carroll. The writer and advice columnist who last week won a 'ludicrous' $83.3 million judgment against former President Donald Trump has undertaken a whirlwind media tour, most recently appearing on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show. show more
February 2, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
News
Politics

Andrew Yang: ‘If Election Were Held Today, Biden Would Lose to Trump.’

In an interview earlier this week former Democratic presidential candidate and businessman Andrew Yang, who last ran for New York City Mayor, warned that Democrat voters are becoming increasingly concerned about Joe Biden’s ability to win re-election and said that Biden would lose the election to former President Donald Trump if held today.

Democrat Voters Don’t Think Biden Can Beat Trump

According to Yang, voters in several swing states and South Carolina have expressed concerns that Joe Biden is too old and insulated from criticism to realize that the Trump campaign could win in November. Yang said he’s heard concerns about Biden’s viability, especially among older Black female voters in states like South Carolina. He also pointed to the Democratic National Committee’s move to restrict primary challenges to Biden, which is dampening overall enthusiasm among Democrats he says.

“I had some conversations like that in South Carolina over the last number of days where people would actually come to me and say, do you really think Joe could lose to Trump?” Yang said, adding: “And I would say, not only could he lose to Trump, but if the election were held today, he would lose to Trump and the poll numbers are generally getting worse, not better.”

He continued: “The most extreme thing the DNC has done to stifle democracy is canceling the primaries in Florida and North Carolina and attempting to do so in another state or two.”

Democrat Establishment Is Content Risking Trump Win

Yang has been traveling the country on behalf of Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN), who is challenging Biden for the Democrat presidential nomination. The Phillips campaign surrogate said he believes a lot of the potential primary challengers to Biden — like California Governor Gavin Newsom — declined to run because they’re content running in 2028 even if that means “…throwing the country to Trump who is beating Joe Biden in most every national poll and in the all-important swing states.”

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In an interview earlier this week former Democratic presidential candidate and businessman Andrew Yang, who last ran for New York City Mayor, warned that Democrat voters are becoming increasingly concerned about Joe Biden's ability to win re-election and said that Biden would lose the election to former President Donald Trump if held today. show more
February 1, 2024
William Upton
News
Politics

John Podesta is Back in the White House.

President Joe Biden is set to name his former senior adviser, John Podesta, as the replacement for John Kerry as special climate envoy for the United States. The 75-year-old Podesta served as the White House chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton, as counselor to former President Barack Obama, and chaired Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president in 2016. Earlier this month, John Kerry announced he was leaving the White House and transitioning to Biden’s re-election campaign.

Before being tapped by Biden to serve as the special climate envoy, Podesta oversaw White House policy on clean energy. Implementing the Inflation Reduction Act was among the major issues in the long-time progressive operative’s portfolio. The massive green agenda legislation was billed as an anti-inflation measure but has likely contributed to the increase in prices under the Biden government.

Podesta’s elevation likely signals that the Biden government intends to shift its focus away from international climate policy and instead escalate efforts to finalize new domestic rules before the November 2024 general election. Former President Donald Trump, shown to be either neck-in-neck or ahead of Biden in most general election polls, has pledged to undo much of the onerous environmental regulations enacted by the Democrat President.

On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly pointed to the failure of Biden’s electric car mandates and subsidies. Manufacturers and auto-worker unions have had a tepid response to Biden’s electric car agenda as consumer demand has fallen. Under Podesta’s guidance, the subsidies and mandates are unlikely to be reversed.

“We need to keep meeting the gravity of this moment, and there is no one better than John Podesta to make sure we do,” Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients said in a statement. Zients added that Podesta will continue to be “at the helm of driving the implementation of the most significant climate law in history.”

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President Joe Biden is set to name his former senior adviser, John Podesta, as the replacement for John Kerry as special climate envoy for the United States. The 75-year-old Podesta served as the White House chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton, as counselor to former President Barack Obama, and chaired Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president in 2016. Earlier this month, John Kerry announced he was leaving the White House and transitioning to Biden’s re-election campaign. show more
February 1, 2024
Jack Montgomery
News
Politics
War

Man Whose Opinions Have Led to Nothing But Death and Misery Warns: ‘Trump Is Dangerous.’

War hawk John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor from mid-2018 before being fired in 2019, has warned the “dangerous ideas” of his former boss “gravely threaten American security.”

“Mr. Trump’s most dangerous legacy is the spread of the isolationist virus in the Republican Party,” Bolton complained, in reference to conservatives’ increasing skepticism of “forever wars” overseas.

Bolton supported the Vietnam War — while avoiding serving in it — as a young man, and in politics paved the way for the Iraq War, argued against leaving Afghanistan, and lobbied for a regime change war in Iran and strikes on North Korea, among other neoconservative policies.

In terms of new conflicts Bolton wants the U.S. to be involved in, he argued the “most immediate crisis involves Ukraine,” insisting Trump was “a factor” in the current war despite Russia’s twin invasions of the country taking place in 2014, under the Obama-Biden government, and 2022, under the Biden-Harris government.

“An even greater danger is that Mr. Trump will act on his desire to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” Bolton added, claiming the former president came “precariously close” to exiting NATO in 2018.

NATO is comprised largely of European states that do not meet their defense spending obligations, sheltering instead behind the U.S. military and using the savings to offer their citizens healthcare, maternity, and welfare benefits U.S. citizens do not receive.

Trump has long argued that his hard line on NATO forced European governments to spend more on defense, strengthening the alliance rather than weakening it.

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War hawk John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's National Security Advisor from mid-2018 before being fired in 2019, has warned the "dangerous ideas" of his former boss "gravely threaten American security." show more

Editor’s Notes

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

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Bolton has a legacy beyond his constant warmongering
for exclusive members-only insights
Bolton has a legacy beyond his constant warmongering show more
for exclusive members-only insights
e jean carroll
February 1, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Media
News

E. Jean Carroll Throws Rape Claim Victory Party With ‘Unbiased’ Reporters.

Donald Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll has been hailed as an “icon” at a media party in Manhattan, hosted by Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman and MSNBC and Vanity Fair journalist Molly Jong-Fast.

Also in attendance at the ‘Flower Shop’ bar in the Lower East Side were MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell, Studio 360 host Kurt Andersen, former Saturday Night Live producer Marci Klein, Puck columnist Tara Palmeri, New York Times opinion columnist Lydia Polgreen, and Washington Post staff writer Sarah Ellison, according to Page Six.

“She looked like a hero. It’s great to see women winning the day,” said one unnamed eyewitness quoted by the New York Post. Another speculated the advice columnist “could buy the bar” after a New York court awarded her $83 million because Trump denied raping her in a luxury department store sometime in the 1990s.

Carroll has also said she will use the money to buy “premium dog food” and cause Trump “pain,” possibly by campaigning with Joe Biden for the 2024 election. She has cultivated a close relationship with journalists since commencing her lawsuits against the former president, which were funded by Democrat mega-donor Reid Hoffman.

Shortly after the most recent verdict in her favor, she appeared on MSNBC and offered to take host Rachel Maddow shoe shopping and buy her a penthouse. Trump does not have to pay Carroll until he exhausts his options to appeal.

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Donald Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll has been hailed as an “icon” at a media party in Manhattan, hosted by Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman and MSNBC and Vanity Fair journalist Molly Jong-Fast. show more
February 1, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
News
Politics

Trump Zeroes In On Critical Union Voters.

The support of union households across Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada increasingly appears to be the critical swing vote in the 2024 presidential election. An ‘arms race’ is underway between President Joe Biden’s and former President Donald Trump’s campaigns to secure the votes of rank-and-file union members. However, data shows that former President Trump may hold an early edge.

Just before the 2020 election, internal polling conducted by POLITICO showed a near dead-heat between Biden and Trump with 48 and 47 percent of the union vote, respectively. A similar trend is emerging in polling data heading into the 2024 election. Former President Donald Trump and President Biden have shown to be tied at 47 percent each among union voters, according to a recent poll. The erosion of union support for Democrats, as well as Republican gains under Trump, in large part explains the former President’s consistent lead in swing-state polling.

Trump Prioritizes Union Workers.

Trump has made it a point to court union voters this election cycle. During the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike last year, he traveled to Michigan, where he delivered a historic policy speech laying out his “Patriotic Protectionism” agenda. During the strike, the former President expressed a certain degree of solidarity with the auto workers and noted Biden’s electric car mandates were hurting the American auto industry.

Despite UAW president Shawn Fain announcing the union will back Biden, rank-and-file members indicate they’re willing to break for Trump.

The Michigan speech was followed by Trump sitting down with Teamsters union leader Sean O’Brien late last year. That meeting was followed up earlier this week with the former President sitting down again with O’Brien and rank-and-file Teamsters members to discuss his agenda should he retake the White House. When asked about a potential Teamsters endorsement, Trump said: “Stranger things have happened.”

Union Votes Can Swing Key States.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States has 14.2 million union members. During the 2020 election, former President Trump saw significant gains among union households in Ohio and Pennsylvania — with the former President only narrowly losing the latter to Biden. In Wisconsin and Michigan, however, Joe Biden was able to hold his vote margins among union members, heading off Trump’s efforts to flip both states in his favor again.

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The support of union households across Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada increasingly appears to be the critical swing vote in the 2024 presidential election. An 'arms race' is underway between President Joe Biden's and former President Donald Trump's campaigns to secure the votes of rank-and-file union members. However, data shows that former President Trump may hold an early edge. show more
February 1, 2024
Raheem J. Kassam
News
Politics

WATCH: Bannon Blasts Nikki Haley, Ronna McDaniel at Turning Point’s RNC Counter-Convention.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Former Trump White House Advisor Stephen K. Bannon blasted Nimarata ‘Nikki’ Haley from the stage at the Turning Point ‘Restoring National Confidence’ Summit in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Addressing a raucous cadre of Trump supporters in the same Planet Hollywood ballroom that Trump himself burst to our attention from in 2015, Bannon also took aim at Ronna McDaniel’s RNC for allowing a damaging internecine primary against Trump.

“Did the DNC let Joe Biden be primaried?” He asked. “No. They said ‘not gonna happen’. He’s an incumbent president. Well Donald Trump is an incumbent president,” he remarked to applause.

The speech was the culmination of a three-day conference ostensibly organized by Turning Point USA to urge Republican National Committee delegates to push McDaniel out of her role as RNC chairman, which has been marred by lost elections, wasteful spending, and a GOP run almost entirely by establishment consultants.

McDaniel begins her own charm offensive to her delegates in Las Vegas on Wednesday when the RNC begins its ‘Winter Meeting.’

WATCH:

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LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Former Trump White House Advisor Stephen K. Bannon blasted Nimarata ‘Nikki’ Haley from the stage at the Turning Point ‘Restoring National Confidence’ Summit in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Addressing a raucous cadre of Trump supporters in the same Planet Hollywood ballroom that Trump himself burst to our attention from in 2015, Bannon also took aim at Ronna McDaniel’s RNC for allowing a damaging internecine primary against Trump. show more

Editor’s Notes

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

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
It’s been nearly 9 years since I sat in this Planet Hollywood ballroom and first saw then-candidate Donald Trump address the crowd at FreedomFest, 2015
for exclusive members-only insights
It’s been nearly 9 years since I sat in this Planet Hollywood ballroom and first saw then-candidate Donald Trump address the crowd at FreedomFest, 2015 show more
for exclusive members-only insights
TikTok
February 1, 2024
William Upton
News
TECH

Despite TikTok’s Billion Dollar ‘Data Security Plan,’ American Info is Still Being Shared With China.

The Chinese-owned social media app TikTok claims it has spent $1.5 billion to build a firewall between its United States operations and its parent company, ByteDance, in China. Despite their guarantees, evidence shows the effort has been far less effective than purported, as U.S. user data continues to be accessed by Chinese employees of ByteDance.

Over the past several years, executives at the company promised lawmakers on Capitol Hill that they would effectively wall off American user data, assuaging concerns that the app is being used as a Chinese intelligence asset against American interests. Additionally, TikTok says it has enacted measures to ensure U.S. content is not subjected to censorship from the Chinese Communist Party.

TikTok Uses Back Channels To Share Data With China.

Employees at TikTok‘s Project Texas — a supposedly isolated unit that handles U.S. user data — have routinely been instructed to share files with other departments outside the unit and directly with ByteDance employees. Data sharing often occurs outside official channels, effectively working around the alleged “firewall.” The shared data includes user IP addresses, dates of birth, and email addresses. On top of the backchannel data-sharing, U.S. TikTok employees allege their Chinese counterparts make such frequent changes to the algorithm that they cannot determine if China is censoring U.S. users or accessing unauthorized data.

ByteDance’s U.S. Influence Operation.

The Chinese-based ByteDance has been engaged in a protected negotiation with the U.S. government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. ever since former President Donald Trump moved to ban the TikTok app in 2020. A federal judge eventually stayed Trump’s executive order banning the social media app — President Joe Biden later abandoned the effort entirely.

Over the next three years, ByteDance ramped up its influence operations in the U.S. to head off a separate effort by lawmakers on Capitol Hill to ban TikTok or at least place restrictions on its use. In 2023, ByteDance spent $7.4 million lobbying efforts to influence U.S. politicians.

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The Chinese-owned social media app TikTok claims it has spent $1.5 billion to build a firewall between its United States operations and its parent company, ByteDance, in China. Despite their guarantees, evidence shows the effort has been far less effective than purported, as U.S. user data continues to be accessed by Chinese employees of ByteDance. show more
trump is winning
January 31, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
Politics

Trump Leads Biden In ALL SEVEN Swing States.

Donald Trump now leads Joe Biden in all seven swing states by margins of up to ten points. Nationally, Trump leads the incumbent by six points, according to Morning Consult, with his lead increasing to nine points when third-party candidates are taken into account.

Trump’s strongest lead over Biden is in North Carolina, where he is ten points clear of the 81-year-old Democrat. He also holds strong eight-point leads over Biden in Nevada and Georgia, five-point leads in Wisconsin and Michigan, and three-point leads in Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Previous polling found Trump ahead of Biden by two points nationally, with a 12-point advantage among Independents. The new results suggest Biden is not improving his position.

The Democrat’s mismanagement of the southern border crisis appears to be particularly damaging for him, with six in ten respondents holding him responsible for the situation.

On Tuesday, House Republicans approved articles of impeachment against Biden’s Cuba-born Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, for failure to comply with the law and breach of public trust.

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Donald Trump now leads Joe Biden in all seven swing states by margins of up to ten points. Nationally, Trump leads the incumbent by six points, according to Morning Consult, with his lead increasing to nine points when third-party candidates are taken into account. show more