As the 2024 election nears, the attacks between the GOP candidates -- at least those left -- are ramping up.
According to the Daily Mail, former President Donald Trump made headlines this week after claiming that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley might not be eligible to run for the presidency.
Trump shared an article on his Truth Social account that laid out why she might not be eligible, which is based on her parents being Indian immigrants.
The original article shared by the former president was published on American Greatness. The Gateway Pundit reported on it later, which is what Trump shared.
The original piece quoted Paul Ingrassia, a law clerk who graduated from law school in 2022.
At the core of his argument is Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, which Ingrassia insists unambiguously mandates that only “natural born citizens” of the United States are eligible to assume the presidency.
He went on to explain the distinction between a "natural born citizen" and "birthright citizenship."
The distinction between “natural born citizen” and “birthright citizenship” is central to Ingrassia’s analysis. The former term, he reminds us, is expressly reserved for those born on American soil to U.S. citizen parents, a requirement not emulated for other federal offices. This stringent criterion traces back to the Founding Fathers’ fears of foreign influence at the highest level of government.
Trump's sharing of the report sparked immediate backlash from legal scholars and Haley herself.
Trump floats the (absurd) claim that Nikki Haley is ineligible to run for Presidenthttps://t.co/YJlMbUVlft pic.twitter.com/dKntnvNdjG
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) January 9, 2024
"Who's afraid of Nikki Haley? Answer: Donald Trump," Haley wrote in an X post.
She's currently the only GOP candidate with a remote chance of competing against Trump in several early-voting states, such as New Hampshire, where she only trails him by seven point.
Trump's "birther" implication sparked intense feedback from other legal scholars who believe there's nothing to it. Laurence Tribe, Harvard Law School professor emeritus, explained to NBC News that it's a nothing-burger in his opinion.
"The birther claims against Nikki Haley are totally baseless as a legal and constitutional matter," Tribe said.
Not surprisingly, he suggested there is a racial motive behind Trump's post.
"I can't imagine what Trump hopes to gain by those claims unless it's to play the race card against the former governor and UN ambassador as a woman of color — and to draw on the wellsprings of anti-immigrant prejudice by reminding everyone that Haley's parents weren't citizens when she was born in the USA." Tribe added.
The son of a retired judge in Texas was charged with his murder as well as the murder of the judge's wife, his mother on Tuesday.
Former Williamson County Judge Burt Carnes and his wife Susan were found late Monday as police responded to reports of a shooting at the Carnes' home around 11:45 p.m.
Seth Carnes, the victims' son, was found exiting the home as police entered.
Carnes reportedly admitted to police that he shot his parents and was taken into custody early Tuesday morning.
The sheriff's office said the couple was found dead inside the residence and that there were signs of a family disagreement that led to the shooting.
The office emphasized that there was no threat to public safety, but the investigation is ongoing.
Seth Carnes remains in jail without bond, charged with capital murder.
"This deeply distressing incident has sent shockwaves through our community, particularly considering Alfred ‘Burt’ Carnes' esteemed position as a retired District Judge," Commander John Foster of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division said in a press release. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family affected by this heartbreaking event.”
Judge Carnes was the son of an FBI agent and also had a Texas Ranger, a Border Patrol Agent and a Wilson County sheriff in the family.
He served 24 years on the bench before retiring in 2013. Both Burt and Susan Carnes were 74 years old.
“Early on, I decided that I was going to be a judge, not a politician,” he said during an interview at his retirement. “You’ve got to follow the law and within the bounds of the law, do what you think is right.”
“Judge Carnes was an exemplary judge — hardworking, fair and a judge/lawyer who knew the law,” state Rep. John Carter said of Carnes at the time. “Whenever I wanted to talk out an issue with anyone, Judge Carnes was my first choice because he was a smart lawyer and a smart judge.”
Seth Carnes is 45 years old and the motive for his alleged actions was not known when he was arrested.
The murders were a shock to the mid-size community of Georgetown, Texas, where Carnes was highly respected.
A five-judge panel of the Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld the March election of Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia on Monday, denying a challenge to the election by supporters of Titus Uba, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival.
Uba was speaker of the Benue State House Assembly at the time of the election, and he accused Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC, and Alia of electoral malpractice that resulted in his loss.
Before taking his complaints to the Supreme Court, Uba tried the Benue State Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal and was refused by both.
Uba did not even think Alia qualified as a candidate because he had previously been a Catholic priest, but left the priesthood to run for office.
They also alleged Alia's deputy, Samuel Ode, submitted a forged certificate to INEC, which was illegal and would nullify his candidacy.
They further claimed the governor’s name was submitted as a candidate to INEC after the constitutionally stipulated time, which would also nullify his candidacy.
The Supreme Court said Uba and his supporters failed to prove these allegations.
Alia was present along with his deputy Sam Ode and other officials to hear the verdict.
The election results have apparently been in dispute for the last nine months, even as Alia took office and began to lead in Benue, one of 36 states in Nigeria.
Countries like Nigeria, which is still considered a third-world country, often have conflicts around their elections that can last for many months or years.
Sometimes there is even violence, which did not seem to be the case here in Benue, Nigeria for this election.
America has largely escaped these issues due to its Constitution and other protections, along with societal pressure and the general belief that elections are fair here.
It seems like all of these things are breaking down, which could be why there have been more questions about American elections in recent years.
Still, even our most recent election was never tied up in the courts after it was certified and the peaceful transfer of power took place. This shows a general desire for a peaceful government, which can only be achieved if people find a way to agree on who will lead the country, even if they don't all like it.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One of Joe Biden's strategies to remake America in his pro-abortion, pro-electric vehicle, pro-transgender ideology has been simply to redefine words, or rewrite rules.
Those processes avoid the need to get something approved by Congress.
One of the recent schemes was to call abortion a necessary medical "treatment" to stabilize a patient in an emergency room. That would require any emergency room physician or assistant to participate literally in abortion on demand.
Now the Washington Stand has a report documenting the high level of concern such actions, described as "a pattern of unconstitutional overreach," have generated.
Biden's maneuvers, the report are being used "to achieve political ends."
"Last year, the Biden administration moved forward with a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule that threatened to pull federal funding for school lunches from schools that did not adopt the administration’s new interpretation of Title IX, which specified that the prohibition on discrimination based on sex must 'include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.' Observers noted that a program designed to help feed low-income children was now being entangled with a policy rooted in highly controversial gender ideology," the report cited.
Then a coalition of Republican state attorneys general sued over another Biden rule change, this one coming through the Department of Transportation to force states to create benchmarks for reducing greenhouse gases.
Austin Knudsen, of Montana, blasted it as "another unlawful and overreaching regulation" as the coalition pointed out the agency didn't have the authority to do that.
And Dave Yost, Ohio's AG, went on "Washington Watch with Tony Perkins" to describe many other "examples of the Biden administration’s overreach."
He commented:
"One of the things people ought to pay attention to is the phrase 'whole of government.' You’re starting to hear this from bureaucrats and politicians in Washington over and over again. That should be a red flag for you when you hear 'whole of government.' … It’s kind of a code that they’re going to use [for] agencies that have absolutely nothing to do with the thing at hand to try to accomplish something that they don’t have authority to do.
"For example, the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] is there to regulate the stock markets and stock trading and commodities trading. They publish rules, and it’s a regulatory agency — pretty dry and dusty. Well, under the whole-of-government approach, the Biden administration is using them to try to enter into fossil fuels and energy policy and climate change. What do the SEC and stock markets have to do with whether we drive electric cars or not or fossil fuel development?"
Further, he told the Washington Stand of a work regulation, from OSHA, through which Biden attempted "to make sure that every employee of a company that had more than 100 employees, which was over 80 million Americans, had to have the [COVID] vaccine … if they wanted the government’s permission to work."
He said the courts and Congress both need to work on reining in "an overreaching executive."
He warned, "We have to realize we’re in a battle. This is not a civil debate. … These folks don’t care about the norms. They don’t care about the rules or the rule of law. We are in a pitched battle, and we need everybody to help."
Cindy Morgan, renowned for her roles in "Caddyshack" and "Tron," has passed away at the age of 69, confirmed by a representative from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
The actress succumbed to natural causes a few days before the confirmation.
'Caddyshack,' 'Tron' actress Cindy Morgan dead at 69 https://t.co/vsY9hVNgIl
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 6, 2024
Morgan marked her feature film debut in the iconic 1980 sports comedy "Caddyshack," sharing the screen with comedy legends Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, and Michael O'Keefe.
In the film, she portrayed Lacey Underhall, the attractive niece of Judge Elihu Smails, the country club owner, becoming a central figure in the characters' desires.
In a 2009 Biography Channel TV special, "Caddyshack: The Inside Story," Morgan discussed her portrayal of Lacey, describing her as a woman who embraced life, enjoyed her sensuality, and knew how to have fun.
She fondly recalled her memorable quote from the film and shared a humorous anecdote about landing the role during auditions.
Following her success in "Caddyshack," Morgan starred in the groundbreaking 1982 film "Tron," where she played dual roles as computer scientist Dr. Lora Baines and the computer program Yori, a character that became a love interest for Tron (Bruce Boxleitner).
"Tron" was notable for its extensive use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), earning two Academy Award nominations and gaining a cult following.
Morgan's versatile career extended beyond these iconic films. She appeared in TV series such as "The Love Boat," "CHiPs," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Harry and the Hendersons," "Hawaiian Heat," "She's the Sheriff," "Amazing Stories," "The Highwayman," "Manusco, FBI," and "Under Suspicion," among others.
Her final film role was a voice part in the independent crime thriller "Voice of Trinity," and she also worked as an associate producer on TV movies.
In her later years, Cindy Morgan extended her contributions to the entertainment industry by participating in various short films and lending her voice to video games.
Her final film role took place in 2011 in "Empty Sky," and her last television appearance occurred in a 1994 episode of "Under Suspicion."
Beyond her acting career, Morgan exhibited a deep commitment to philanthropy, particularly in supporting veterans of the U.S. Military who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She dedicated efforts to alleviate the financial hardships that these veterans might be facing.
Additionally, Morgan actively raised funds for the Illinois Family Relief Fund, an organization that provides assistance to the families of National Guard members, reservists, and those on active duty. Her charitable endeavors reflected a sincere dedication to making a positive impact beyond the entertainment realm.
Tariq Habash, a top official in Biden's education department, resigned over President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Habash expressed concerns about the administration turning a "blind eye to the atrocities committed against innocent Palestinian lives."
Biden Education Official Tariq Habash Quits In Protest Of President’s Israel Policy | The Daily Caller https://t.co/TRdiZQbW6O
— 18 5.0 Mustang (@1850Mustang2) January 5, 2024
Habash, a Palestinian-American, stated that he cannot represent an administration that does not value all human life equally and criticized the administration for not leveraging its influence to address collective punishment tactics in Gaza.
The resignation adds to the growing pushback against Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with some members of his administration, allies, and campaign volunteers expressing dissatisfaction.
While Biden has committed to supporting Israel during the conflict, calls for a ceasefire have intensified, with members of Biden's re-election campaign and the State Department urging him to take action.
Despite the backlash, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank and Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly encouraged him to show more public sympathy to Gaza and the Palestinians.
Habash is at least the second official, and the first known official of Palestinian origin, to resign from the administration in protest of President Joe Biden’s actions regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
Josh Paul, a State Department veteran, stepped down in October over the administration's accelerated arms transfers to Israel. Habash, who had participated in meetings with senior White House officials to address staffers' concerns on the U.S. role in the war, described these sessions as briefings from higher-ups rather than opportunities for staffers to be heard.
The White House referred questions about Habash to the Department of Education, and a department spokesperson wished him the best in his future endeavors.
The Biden administration has defended Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza as rightful self-defense against Hamas, emphasizing their repeated urging for Israel to modify its approach to reduce civilian casualties.
The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with attacks by Hamas on October 7 killing over 1,200 people in Israel. Gaza health authorities claim over 22,000 deaths in the war, though these numbers are verified and are likely inaccurate.
The debate continues to show staffers in the Biden administration who oppose American support for Israel during a time when support is needed most, leading to growing controversy as the president seeks to build support for his reelection campaign.
President Joe Biden's age-related decline is cause for concern for a variety of reasons for the Democratic Party -- and for the nation as a whole.
Over the past year alone, his gaffes, word salads, falls, and overall confusion have led many to believe that, politics aside, he's simply too old to carry out the business of a United States president.
He looks weak and feeble, and that's not exactly the image that the most powerful nation on Earth should project. Some even argue that his condition is a national security risk.
The most recent display of his elderly, confused status came at the end of a New Year's jaunt to St. Croix for a Caribbean vacation.
The Irish Star reported that body language experts, upon examining footage of Biden returning from vacation, said the 81-year-old president looked "unsteady and confused."
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden spent the holiday week in St. Croix, reportedly bunking with Democratic donors Bill and Connie Neville.
Body language expert Judi James examined the president's movements upon his return to Washington D.C. and provided a daunting assessment of the condition of the United States president.
"Walking to the plane and mounting the steps, Biden appears unsteady and confused to the point where it looks painful to see him without someone nearby to offer assistance if needed,” James said.
She added, "He arrives at the top with his knees bent, which is a very common problem that happens with age, where the legs get up steps faster than the torso."
James pointed out what seems to be more common than not these days with President Biden, in that he's always confused as to where to go, whether stepping off a plane or attempting to exit a stage.
"Where we see a moment of what looks like confusion though is when he turns to bend and wave. Turning back he appears momentarily unsure where to go," James said.
Biden's age, according to numerous polls, is a real problem for Democratic voters of all ages. Not only are they not excited about him as a president, they're also worried about his physical and cognitive health.
President Biden is clearly too old to serve today.
The idea that he could win re-election and serve until January 2029 is a farce.
No one believes it. https://t.co/A0zF0saB8t
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) January 3, 2024
Many believe the DNC should replace Biden with a younger, fresher candidate who stands a remote chance at facing Trump in the general election. Only time will tell if they make that choice.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) isn't getting much love and support from his fellow Democrats in the wake of being charged with multiple serious bribery-related crimes with his wife.
In September, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the first senator to call for Menendez to resign or be expelled from Congress following his federal indictment.
According to NBC News, Fetterman renewed his calls for the New Jersey senator's resignation following the announcement of a superseding indictment.
In a separate report, NBC News noted, "The new allegations say Menendez made positive statements about Qatar to help a New Jersey developer get a multimillion-dollar investment from a company tied to the country."
It only took a matter of hours before Fetterman released a statement on X calling for Menendez to be expelled from Congress.
"Now, accused of selling his honor and our nation for a $24,000 watch. Accused as a foreign agent for *two* nations. How much more before we finally expel @SenatorMenendez? Fetterman wrote.
Now, accused of selling his honor and our nation for a $24,000 watch.
Accused as a foreign agent for *two* nations.
How much more before we finally expel @SenatorMenendez ? https://t.co/NRrWyye9fj
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) January 3, 2024
NBC News noted:
Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were initially charged with bribery in September, accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in exchange for the use of the senator’s influence to enrich three New Jersey businessmen and to benefit the Egyptian government.
Multiple senators and House members have called for Menendez to either resign or face the possibility of expulsion.
Fetterman and others even went as far as comparing his case to that of expelled Republican George Santos, who Fetterman believes committed less serious infractions compared to Menendez.
Fetterman's renewed calls for the New Jersey Democrat's expulsion sparked comments from social media users, most of whom agreed with his calls.
"Yet the Dems make no move to remove him from office. Interesting isn't it," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "This is so refreshing to see. Thank you for standing on the side of truth and transparency, Senator. Especially when it comes to one of your own. Right is right, wrong is wrong. We are one nation. And divided we fall."
Only time will tell if Menendez buckles to the growing pressure, or before Congress finally decides to vote to kick him out.
It’s hard to see how the breakup of a marriage wouldn’t change a person in profound ways.
Former Good Morning America 3rd hour (GMA3) co-host Amy Robach took the occasion of the new year to reflect on her divorce from former Melrose Place star Andrew Shue and how, among other things in 2023, it changed her.
Robach explained on the Amy and T.J. Podcast, which she hosts with her boyfriend and former GMA3 cohost T.J. Holmes, that she was still happy after losing her marriage, her job, reputation, friends, and most of her possessions.
"I've learned in 2023 that you can lose your job, you can lose your reputation, you can lose friends, and you can lose most of your worldly possessions," she told Holmes during Tuesday’s podcast, ”and still be happy."
Holmes apparently didn’t know she had lost so many possessions, but Robach admitted, “There was a lot of selling going on.”
She also said about Shue, "I've learned you don't really know someone until you've divorced them."
Shue and Robach were married for 10 years until their divorce. She has two daughters from a previous marriage to former MLB player Tim McIntosh.
Robach and Holmes both lost their positions on GMA3 in late 2022 when their relationship was revealed to the public while both were still married to other people.
In January 2023, they were permanently fired from the show, even though as they later revealed, they were both separated from their spouses when they began dating.
"It was one of those things where everyone in my tight circle knew I was getting divorced" before her relationship with Holmes became public, she said.
Holmes’ divorce from wife Marilee was also finalized in 2023.
Ironically, Marilee and Shue are now dating each other, as the spouses knew each other socially before the separations and divorces.
It turns out she doesn’t so much miss the job at GMA3 either.
“I learned that I never want to go back to the grind of morning television,” she said on the podcast, adding that she “does not miss the job,” only the people she used to work with. And Holmes agreed.
The New York Times, which Daily Wire pundit Andrew Klavan calls a "former newspaper" because of its bias, declared on Sunday that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's GOP presidential campaign is now on "hospice care" with "inevitable death" to follow, but a spokesperson for DeSantis called the story bogus.
The Times piece quoted close advisor Ryan Tyson as having said privately "to multiple people that they are at the point in the campaign where they need to 'make the patient comfortable,' a phrase evoking hospice care."
DeSantis communication director Andrew Romeo denied the report and produced a statement from Tyson denying the quoted comments, however.
"Different day, same media hit job based on unnamed sources with agendas,” Romeo said.
"While the media tried to proclaim this campaign dead back in August, Ron DeSantis fought back and enters the home stretch in Iowa as the hardest working candidate with the most robust ground game," he added. "DeSantis has been underestimated in every race he’s ever run and always proved the doubters wrong. We are confident he will defy the odds once again on Jan. 15.”
Two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, polls show DeSantis more than 30 points behind former President Donald Trump and virtually tied with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley with about 17% of the vote.
It's a far cry from the 30% support he had in May when he declared his candidacy.
DeSantis acknowledged that the Trump indictments "sucked a lot of the oxygen" out of his campaign as outraged Republicans threw their support behind Trump in reaction to the charges against him.
"If I could have one thing change, I wish Trump hadn’t been indicted on any of this stuff," DeSantis said in a recent CBN interview.
Nationally, Trump now stands at almost 70% Republican support with DeSantis closer to 12%.
With some more campaigning in later primary states, DeSantis could pick up a few points, but it seems clear that Republicans want Trump back in a bad way for 2024, despite his many legal woes.
DeSantis has similar policies (other than abortion) and none of Trump's baggage, but he has not managed to grab voters the way only Trump seems able to do.
While anything may still be possible, it certainly looks like Trump will get the nomination and face President Joe Biden or whoever ends up being the Democrat nominee.
Let's hope Republicans' desire for justice--or revenge--doesn't backfire on them and the whole country along with them.