Illinois's state election board voted unanimously to keep former President Donald Trump's name on the ballot in that state as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on another ballot challenge in Colorado. 

The board's hearing officer, retired Republican judge Clark Erickson, found a "preponderance of evidence" that Trump is ineligible to run for President because of January 6, which he termed an "insurrection" despite no legal rulings saying so.

The 14th Amendment states that individuals who participate in an insurrection may not hold public office, and anti-Trumpers have quickly grabbed onto the language to apply it to him.

Erickson did recommend letting the Supreme Court decide whether Trump should stay on the ballot.

Lack authority

The board's lawyer recommended keeping Trump's name on the ballot because they lack the authority to determine whether he had violated the Constitution.

The state would probably move to have him removed from the general election ballot if the Supreme Court rules that Colorado does have the authority to do so, joining other states waiting to see how the high court rules.

It seems unlikely that the Supreme Court would rule that the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump, since he has not been charged with or convicted of participating in an insurrection.

There's no way the court should be determining that Trump is guilty of resurrection without some sort of trial, which has not happened.

Supreme Court to rule

Similarly, Maine has also kept Trump on its primary ballot pending the Supreme Court's Colorado ruling.

The Supreme Court plans to hear arguments on the Colorado case on February 8.

More than a dozen states have challenges in progress to Trump being on the ballot, but it seems likely that the Supreme Court will not allow such a thing to happen.

It's a blatant attempt by the left to tell people who they can vote for--naked election interference for sure.

If states are able to get Trump taken off the ballot in this way, you can be sure that it will be the beginning of the end for free and fair elections in the U.S. going forward.

For now, at least, voters still get to have their say.

Former President Donald Trump lawyer Alina Habba said that there should be "new trials" in the lawsuits by E. Jean Carroll against him because she discovered the judge in the case has close relationships with two of her lawyers.

For those who wondered how a judge could believe the flimsy story that Trump assaulted Carroll in a dressing room even though she was very vague on details and there was no physical evidence, Habba has figured out what happened.

In a letter from Habba to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday evening, she said that she had learned "for the first time" that he had once had a mentor relationship with Carroll's lawyer Roberta Kaplan (the two are not related).

“If Your Honor truly worked with Ms. Kaplan in any capacity—especially if there was a mentor/mentee relationship—that fact should have been disclosed before any case involving these parties was permitted to proceed forward,” Habba said, adding, “This issue is particularly concerning since Plaintiff’s other lead counsel, Shawn Crowley, served as Your Honor’s law clerk, and we were previously advised that Your Honor co-officiated her wedding.”

Breaking news

Habba said that a reporter told her on Saturday that Carroll attorney Roberta Kaplan worked with the judge at Paul, Weiss Rifkin, Wharton & Garrison in the 1990s before the judge was appointed by Bill Clinton to the federal bench.

She pointed out that during the trials, there were many clashes between Trump's lawyers and the judge and questioned whether those might have come from the judge's relationship with the plaintiff's lawyers.

“We believe, and will argue on appeal, that the Court was overtly hostile towards defense counsel and President Trump, and displayed preferential treatment towards Plaintiff’s counsel. Indeed, the rulings, tone, and demeanor of the bench raised significant concerns even before the New York Post’s investigative journalism unearthed these new facts,” Habba said.

Roberta Kaplan said in a response on Tuesday that she doesn't remember ever interacting with the judge on a case when they both worked at Weiss Rifkin, Wharton & Garrison.

A former partner at the law firm told the Post anonymously that Roberta Kaplan tried to impress other lawyers at the firm including Lewis Kaplan and that the judge was like a mentor to her.

Going after Trump's pocketbook

The jury levied $83 million in damages on Trump Friday, but now Habba and Trump are arguing that the whole thing was a sham because the judge and Carroll's lawyer knew each other and never let on.

Leftist lawyers, prosecutors and judges are hitting Trump where they know it will hurt--in the pocketbook.

Besides the $83 million (plus the $5 million from the first trial), Trump could be fined $370 million for supposedly inflating the value of his properties on financial statements and using them to get better loan rates.

Trump is constantly asking for a new trial or a dismissal for all of the cases against him, but in this case, he might have a valid point.

Between Kaplan and Fani Willis in Georgia, it really does seem like the left is out to get Trump no matter what they have to do.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says that her parents recently had "guns drawn" on them. 

Haley made the revelation during a recent appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. 

According to Haley, the guns were drawn on her parents during the "swatting" hoax that took place in December at her home on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

Haley was not home when the incident occurred, but her parents, who are 87 and 90 years old, were, along with their caregiver.

The "swatting" incident

It was Reuters that first reported on the incident. For those unfamiliar with the term "swatting," it refers to incidents in which a false report is filed to the police, a report that could lead to a potentially dangerous encounter with law enforcement.

"Authorities responded to a fake emergency at the South Carolina home of Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley last month after a man claimed to have shot a woman and threatened to harm himself at her home, according to town records obtained by Reuters," the outlet reports.

Reuters goes on to provide more details about the incident.

Per the outlet:

An unknown person called 911 and “claimed to have shot his girlfriend and threatened to harm himself while at the residence of Nikki Haley," Craig Harris, Kiawah Island director of public safety, told town officials on Dec. 30, according to an email Reuters obtained in a records request for threats to Haley’s home. "It was determined to be a hoax ... Nikki Haley is not on the island and her son is with her."

The incident is said to be under investigation by the FBI. Thus far, neither a suspect nor a motive has been identified.

"Guns drawn"

Haley provided more details about the incident during her recent Meet the Press appearance. It was here that she revealed that guns had been drawn on her parents.

"I will tell you that the last thing you want is to see multiple law enforcement officials with guns drawn pointing at my parents and thinking that something happened," Haley said.

She added, "It was an awful situation."

Haley went on to claim that this is not the first time that she has been the target of a swatting incident. She told NBC, "It wasn’t the first time. I think we’ve had it happen twice."

Now that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) has suspended his campaign, Haley is former President Donald Trump's closest Republican rival. She currently trails Trump by, on average 57.7 percentage points. But, she insists that things are closer than they seem and that she will remain in the race.

As Joe Biden faces a widening deficit in opinion polls against his potential Republican opponent, Donald Trump, in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, the Democratic Party is contemplating alternative candidates.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has emerged as a recent consideration in response to concerns about Biden's declining popularity.

ABOUT MICHELLE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT: The scuttlebutt is that Joe Biden won’t tell us he’s not running for President because he would then become an even more Lame – lame-duck president.

Further – could the plan be for Michelle Obama to run for President then Obama will have… pic.twitter.com/z7YvdBeGwQ

— BelannF (@BelannF) January 24, 2024

The growing idea

The idea of an alternative to Joe Biden gained traction following observations by David Axelrod last November, indicating on social media that Trump appeared to be well-positioned for a potential return to the White House in the 2024 presidential election.

Axelrod, a former adviser to Barack Obama and a key Democratic strategist, emphasized that the decision ultimately rests with Biden, who would become the party's nominee if he remains in the primary race.

This prospect gained attention among Republicans, with influential figures like Senator Ted Cruz suggesting that Barack Obama remains a pivotal figure within the Democratic Party and could potentially endorse his wife for the Democratic primary.

Polls support Obama

While the notion of Michelle Obama as an alternative candidate had subsided for a time, recent polls revealing Biden's diminishing popularity, especially in key battleground states, have reignited discussions about this possibility.

Conservative Congressman Byron Donalds, citing information from sources close to the White House, considered Michelle Obama's nomination as almost certain during an interview with Fox News.

Republicans are preparing for such a scenario, emphasizing concerns about Trump's potential return to the White House.

Speculation emerges

Republicans also point to Michelle Obama's recent statement expressing apprehension about the possibility of Trump winning the 2024 election.

While Democrats have not officially commented on the former First Lady's statements or acknowledged discussions about her nomination, media reports suggest that opinion polls within the party indicate Michelle Obama could have a better chance of countering Trump compared to Biden.

Democratic internal polls align with broader public sentiments that view Biden as aged and fatigued, potentially unable to complete a second term.

Many voters seem unconvinced about the positive economic results touted by the White House.

As media outlets report that Republicans are taking the scenario of Michelle Obama entering the Democratic primaries seriously and preparing for potential challenges, political strategists like Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Donald Trump, emphasize the need for the GOP to confront and counter Michelle Obama's proven popularity among voters, particularly minorities, a crucial constituency for presidential victory.

Brandon Bombay, a writer for Nicki Swift, just published an article highlighting various things that could suggest that some members of the Trump family might not be getting along with Kimberly Guilfoyle. 

For those unfamiliar with Guilfoyle, she is the fiancee of Donald Trump Jr., the oldest son of former President Donald Trump.

Guilfoyle is a former prosecuting attorney, who was an advisor to the president during the Trump administration. She has also spent time on television news. And, here's a little twist: she is the ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle got engaged on Dec. 31, 2020, after having known each other for many years. This was long after Guilfoyle and Newsom split up, which was in 2006.

A source of friction?

In his article, Bombay suggests that, in particular, there may be some friction between Guilfoyle and Ivanka Trump, former President Trump's second eldest child. Bombay suggests that the friction began to show during Tiffany Trump's recent wedding.

Bombay writes:

When Tiffany Trump married Michael Boulos in November 2022, Ivanka Trump posted a carousel of pics to Instagram along with a gushing caption . . . Among her snaps was a photo of the Trump ladies which included Ivanka, Tiffany, Lara Trump, Melania Trump, and Marla Maples (Tiffany's mom). Later, it was revealed that she had stealthily cropped Kimberly Guilfoyle from the group photo.

Both a report from the Daily Mail and a separate report from Page Six suggested that this was a simple mistake.

This, however, was not the end of the matter.

A few months later, another report came out that suggested that Ivanka Trump purposely cropped Guilfoyle out of the photograph.

Was it intentional?

The report was from OK! magazine. A source, in February 2023, told that outlet that "Ivanka doesn't trust [Guilfoyle] because she sees her as a social climber desperate to marry into the family."

Additionally, the source claimed that both Ivanka and Tiffany Trump were not happy with the fact that Guilfoyle wore a black dress to the wedding when everyone else wore pastel colors.

Then, another incident took place in March 2023; Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, decided to skip Donald Trump Jr.'s birthday party, claiming that they had to go to their niece's bat mitzvah. Bombay casts doubt on whether this was indeed the real reason for skipping the party, as Trump and Kushner used a similar excuse to miss another party thrown by Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle in December 2022.

Then, on the first anniversary of her wedding, Tiffany Trump appeared to snub Guilfoyle, choosing neither to like nor to reply to Guilfoyle's congratulatory post.

It sure does seem to be possible that there might be some real friction between the Trump sisters and Guilfoyle.

Liberia isn't a country mentioned much in the daily news cycle, but that changed this week after its new president experienced a scary emergency.

According to the BBC, Liberia's new President, Joseph Boakai, alarmed his followers after he could not finish his inauguration speech and was helped away from the podium.

A spokesperson for the newly-elected president said he suffered from a bout of heat stroke.

Notably, his health was questioned during his campaign, and was often used against him, making his very public incident less than ideal.

What happened?

Bokai reportedly spoke for about 30 minutes during his inauguration speech before he reportedly began to not feel well, which eventually led to aides rushing in to help him.

The 78-year-olds health and age-related concerns almost cost him the election, as he narrowly beat 57-year-old former football star George Weah, the outgoing president. Bokai's win came via a run-off election in November.

Video of the frightening moment was uploaded to social media. Bokai can be seen trembling as he experienced his medical episode before his aides finally realized something was wrong.

Newly elected 79 year-old Liberian president Joseph Bokai suffers stroke during inauguration allegedly

🙏 up for the new president

Liberia 🇱🇷 West Africa 🌍 pic.twitter.com/50OHg1T4Dd

— Voice Of Our Ancestors Channel (@VoiceOfOurAnces) January 23, 2024

The BBC noted:

He had already been sworn in as Liberia's oldest-ever president at the outside ceremony held at the Capitol Building, the seat of parliament in the capital, Monrovia.
The temperature had reached more than 30C in swelteringly humid conditions.

In the 30 minutes or so that he was able to speak to the crowd of Liberian supporters, he pledged "to rescue all Liberians from the tough economic times, address corruption and improve basic services."

Doing fine

According to his spokespeople, Bokai was reportedly not taken to the hospital following the medical episode. Some social media users reported the incident as an actual "stroke," though it doesn't seem to be the case given he was not taken to a hospital for urgent medical care.

"His doctors have declared him perfectly fine," spokesperson Charles Snetter told reporters.

Another spokesperson said, "The president is normal, and he's doing well."

The BBC added:

Mr Boakai was vice-president in Nobel Peace Prize-winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's government until 2018, and contested the presidency under the banner of the United Party (UP).

He defeated Mr Weah by just over 20,000 votes in the run-off vote.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Remember the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was, in fact, a riot by a few hundred people.

They broke windows and doors and certainly insulted members of Congress by propping their feet up on their desks.

And while Democrats have claimed from the start it was all an “insurrection” launched by President Trump at a rally that day, there’s been literally no evidence of a true intent for insurrection.

That would include a plan to take over the government, the military, the economy, international relations, and the works.

But you apparently should not go suggesting to those "neutral" Washington, D.C., juries that it was only a riot.

Because a polling report in the Epoch Times reveals that nearly half of potential D.C. jurors would be happy to see those protesters sent to prison for life – or executed.

The report points out that multiple Jan. 6 defendants have tried to have their trials moved out of Washington, because they want what the American justice system is supposed to provide, a fair hearing.

But judges there, largely of the Democrat persuasion, have claimed repeatedly that D.C. juries are neutral. And they’ve claimed there’s no evidence of a bias.

But the Epoch Times revealed, “There is now.”

”A survey (pdf) conducted by Triton Polling and Research between Jan. 1-8 and obtained exclusively by The Epoch Times reveals an extreme level of bias among potential jurors living in Washington toward anyone who participated in the protests at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”

The Times documented that there were 422 “jury eligible residents” people who were surveyed, and 27.5% said the protest participants were “insurrectionists.”

Another 13% called them “criminals” and nearly 15% called them “domestic terrorists."

Nearly 12% called them “traitors.”

The Times revealed, “The overwhelming majority also ‘strongly’ (75 percent) or ‘somewhat agree’ (14.4 percent) that former President Donald Trump is to blame for what happened, and 76.6 percent ‘strongly agree’ that Mr. Trump’s supporters are racists.

When Oscar nominations came out on Tuesday, the Obama-produced Netflix documentary American Symphony was noticeably absent from mentions even though it was expected to be a favorite.

The only nomination the film received was for original song: “It Never Went Away” by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson.

The documentary was considered a favorite for the 94th annual honors. It wasn't clear why it did not receive any significant recognition.

Michelle Obama even held a special screening of the movie last month to campaign for its nomination, but it seems that the Academy decided to honor lesser known offerings instead.

Overlooked

The documentary chronicles Batiste's efforts to write an orchestral symphony while dealing with his wife's cancer relapse. It was directed by Matthew Heineman.

A precious documentary produced by the Obamas under their Higher Ground label as part of their ongoing deal with Netflix, American Factory, won the category in 2020.

The Oscars also overlooked another favorite in the documentary category: Apple’s Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie also did not get nominated in the category.

Still looked at Fox's decades-long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Other content

The Obamas' Netflix deal is said to be worth $65 million over several years. Here is some of the other content they have produced for the streaming service:

After this Oscars snub, however, Netflix may be rethinking its alliance with the former first couple.

The couple already exited their deal with Spotify in October 2022, but that was said to be because the Obamas were frustrated they weren't getting wider distribution for their podcast.

Controversy

Their latest film, Leave the World Behind, caused controversy because it featured a character telling her Black father not to trust white people if the world falls apart.

The controversy caused people to call the movie "woke" and say that it espoused "white racism."

It probably contributed to the movie's fleeting popularity, however.

For a short time, the movie was number one on Netflix, possibly because people wanted to see what the controversy was about or maybe because it featured several major stars.

It was pointed out that Barack Obama personally consulted on the movie and didn't raise an issue with the character's comments.

Most people quickly moved on from the controversy, however.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R) announced on Monday that he would not seek a third term as governor, citing progress during his tenure but not giving a reason for his departure. 

Today we announced that we will not seek a third term as governor.

Serving as governor and first lady of North Dakota has been one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences of our lives. We are eternally grateful to the citizens for giving us this opportunity. pic.twitter.com/6vOv0Lqgey

— Gov. Doug Burgum (@GovDougBurgum) January 22, 2024

Burgum called his time as governor "incredible" and "rewarding" and said he was "eternally grateful" for the state's citizens allowing him to serve.

He cited "record tax relief" and growth in the agriculture and energy industries along with improvements in infrastructure and education.

"Extremely well-positioned"

"There's never been a better time to live, work, and raise a family in North Dakota," he declared, adding that the state was "extremely well-positioned" for the future.

Burgum was a 2024 presidential candidate until he suspended his race in December 2023 with only about 1% support.

He endorsed former President Donald Trump the day before the Iowa caucuses, the first former candidate to do so.

Trump called him “one of the best governors in our country” and said he hoped Burgum might be “a piece of” his future administration, The Hill reported.

Term limits

The legislature just passed term limits for governors and legislators in the state, which will apply to the future but Burgum would have been exempted.

He may have decided that he just doesn't want to look hypocritical by supporting term limits for others but not for himself.

He is 67, so he may have just decided to retire. Alternatively, he may want to work in the private sector and make some money before he retires.

Whatever the reason, he has left the race open for someone new to take his place.

North Dakota is a solidly Republican state and there is not much risk of flipping the state, but as always, anything can happen in politics.

It will definitely be an interesting election in 2024 for many reasons.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), surprisingly, dodged the question of whether he would be interested in becoming former President Donald Trump's running mate. 

Scott did so, according to the Washington Examinerduring an appearance Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. 

The relevant part of the interview can be watched here:

.@DanaBashCNN asks @SenatorTimScott whether he would serve as Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024. pic.twitter.com/HnZJMPbnx5

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) January 21, 2024

"Take it any way you want"

During the interview, CNN host Dana Bash asked Scott if he would be interested in being Trump's running mate.

"The only thing I want is four more years of Donald Trump, and a Republican majority in the Senate, majority in the House, and the White House, so that poor kids who are today growing up in neighborhoods like I grew up in, have a chance for quality education," Scott, in part replied.

Obviously, Scott did not answer the question. Rather, he made the point that "If you don’t think about yourself but think about the country first, we’ll be in good shape."

The non-answer prompted Bash to push a little further. She said, "That wasn’t a no — that door is wide open, fair read?"

Scott, with a laugh, replied, "Well Dana, you could you could take it any way you want. My goal was to do one thing; it’s always gonna do the same thing. Make America and Americans believe in our future and the way that we do not today."

What's going on?

It is not immediately clear why Scott decided to dodge the running mate question. In contrast to Bash, some would interpret Scott's decision not to answer the question as a sign that he is not interested in being Trump's running mate.

Whatever the case may be, Scott was a Republican presidential candidate for the 2024 cycle for a brief period, until he realized that he did not really have the support to make a serious run at the presidency. Scott has recently thrown his support behind Trump.

"We need, you see, we need a president who doesn't see Black or White. We need a president who sees Americans as one American family. And that's why I came to the very warm state of New Hampshire to endorse the next president of these United States, President Donald Trump," Scott said on Friday.

It is widely presumed, based on polling, that Trump will win the Republicans' presidential nomination in 2024, which is why talk has turned to potential running mates.

Trump has refused to say much on the subject, but a recent insider report suggests that Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) could be on Trump's "short list."

© 2024 - Patriot News Alerts