Transcript:We begin at 2pm PST, hours before the State of the Union…Yet another Epstein Files bombshell dropped on Tuesday, just hours before Donald Trump was set to deliver a State of the Union Address we already knew would be a test of human endurance. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, revealed the (not at all) shocking news that the Department of Justice has been (hold on to something sturdy, Dear Reader!) covering up information from the Epstein Files that makes Donald Trump look hella guilty. As tweeted by Oversight Democrats:“For the last few weeks, Oversight Democrats have been investigating the FBI’s handling of allegations from 2019 of sexual assault on a minor made against President Donald Trump by a survivor.“Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor.“Covering up direct evidence of a potential assault by the President of the United States is the most serious possible crime in this White House cover-up.”Congressional Democrats should have demanded that the State of the Union be canceled. Or at least postponed, until well after all of these traitors have been removed from our government. Instead, there was a collective Twitter shrug, like there is with everything about Trump, even though everything about him would have ended anyone else a long, long time ago. Ahead of the speech, Trump’s biggest supporters were gearing up, which was literally true of Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY, via the MAGA Mean Girl Academy at Trump University), who shared a photo of herself wearing a hoodie sold by MAGA Grifter Nick “Baby Teeth” Shirley. Creepy. And then there was Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), the performative attention-seeking MAGA Munchausen’s case. Mace is aware the Epstein Files exist, but she’s doing that willfully obtuse Russian propaganda thing where she keeps tweeting about anyone connected to Epstein who isn’t named Donald Trump. And now she’s also courting favor with Qrazy QAnon Qreater Mike Flynn. Nancy loves all the worst people who have (not) coincidentally blocked me on Twitter. Conversely, a lot of Democrats were not just boycotting SOTU, they were offering so many counter-programming options that Trump’s ratings should really prove the worst in televised history. Let’s face it, that’s all he cares about anyway. My Oregon Democratic delegation made me proud because none of them went. Instead of attending Trump’s Slurring Liefest, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley hosted a “Fate of the Union” Town Hall. Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR), the Democrat from the third District, sat out the speech, sending Epstein survivor Lisa Phillips in her place. If only I could somehow have arranged for Lisa to sit next to Mace. There was yet another delegation from my state in D. C., to protest Trump’s (definitely slurred) speech, and they made MAGA hopping mad. Seriously, that photo (h)op set off some tiny minds on my Instagram, but that just shows the collective IQ point shared by the MAGA cult just went down yet again. Democratic women also sent a message to the Epstein survivors in the hours before their abuser’s bestie shuffled into the chambers. In my final pre-SOTU prediction, I went ahead and posited that aside from going insanely off-script from whatever Sieg Hiel-ery was written by Kapo Nosferatu Stephen Miller, Trump’s State of Delusion Address would include a lot of slurs — of his words as well as any marginalized communities he can scapegoat. While defaming his perceived enemies in a Not-Anyone’s-Idea-Of-A-Greatest-Hits Collection, he would be unsteady on his swollen ankles. Hi narcissism wouldn’t allow him to be seen sipping water, lest anyone focus on his tiny hands, so his voice would grow weaker and raspier. Maybe he’d fall asleep standing up again! One could only hope. We resume at 7:00 pm PST. (No, it’s not over …)WOW, that was bad. Like, epically and historically bad. Make the entire planet cringe as one entity bad. And I’m just talking about his entrance. All he’ll care about are the embarrassing screenshots and historically low ratings thanks to all the alt-SOTUs. Oh man, I can’t wait until he gets his phone back and sees all of the hair tweets. Someone on the staff is definitely getting fired tomorrow! I’m going to enjoy this petty moment, thanks. But seriously, how does anyone look at him and see leadership? I only see a giant bucket of whatever he downloads into his diaper. I watched his lies with the sound off and the captions on, which was entertaining, but ultimately not sustainable because these people are monsters. However, I did manage to capture a couple of perfect moments before the lying proper began. In one, Justice Brett Kavanaugh looked … not pleased to be there. In another…*giggles like a 6th grader*Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will get dragged for giving the Democratic response, but that’s only because MAGA knows she’s right. They hate the truth about Trump — including how those pesky tariffs actually cost them all $1,700 each. But since they can’t possibly admit they were wrong, we’ll continue to get gaslighting of the highest order from Cult 47. The only fallout from the speech will be more punditry, with a weak attempt from the MAGA cult to reframe a “newly energized” (puhleeze) Trump. Democrats need to keep the focus on Epstein and make sure that this is Trump’s last SOTU. Tara Dublin is a political writer/commentator based in Portland, OR, who has been blocked by Donald Trump on Twitter since August 2015 and can occasionally be heard as a fill-in host on SiriusXM Progress. She is also the author of The Sound of Settling, a rock ‘n’ roll love story available at taradublinrocks. comOur Analysis:The Trump-Epstein Saga: A Scathing Review of a Tarnished State of the UnionIn a world where political bombshells have become the norm, the latest revelation from the Epstein Files, implicating none other than Donald Trump himself, should have been enough to halt the presses. Yet, as we've come to expect in this circus of a political climate, it barely caused a ripple. Rep. Robert Garcia's revelation that the Department of Justice has been actively covering up information linking Trump to allegations of sexual assault against a minor is, paradoxically, both earth-shattering and predictably dismissed.The timing of this bombshell, dropping mere hours before Trump was set to deliver a State of the Union address, should have been a moment of reckoning. And yet, the collective response from our political theater was nothing short of a collective shrug. The audacity of the oversight—or more accurately, the lack thereof—is astounding. Congressional Democrats, armed with this damning evidence, had the opportunity, nay, the responsibility to demand a halt to proceedings. But the show went on.The MAGA Circus ContinuesAmidst this backdrop of scandal and silence, Trump's staunchest allies donned their MAGA regalia with pride. Rep. Claudia Tenney and Rep. Nancy Mace, in particular, stood out—not for their political acumen, but for their blind allegiance to a man whose moral compass seems perpetually stuck in the mud. Their pre-SOTU antics, from flaunting MAGA merchandise to courting controversial figures like Mike Flynn, were nothing short of creepy and attention-seeking.Democratic Boycott: A Stand Against the FarceIn stark contrast, several Democrats took a stand by boycotting the State of the Union address. Their counter-programming efforts, including a “Fate of the Union” Town Hall, were commendable attempts to redirect the narrative. Yet, one can't help but wonder if these actions were too little, too late. The image of Lisa Phillips, an Epstein survivor, sitting in place of a boycotting representative, was a powerful statement. However, the impact of such gestures is diluted when the larger system remains unchanged.Trump's State of DelusionTrump's performance at the State of the Union was as expected—a mix of slurred words, baseless attacks, and self-aggrandizement. Predictions of his off-script ramblings and unsteady demeanor were spot on, painting a picture of a man more concerned with appearance than substance. His inability to even sip water without fear of mockery speaks volumes about his fragile ego.The Aftermath: A Cringe-Fest of Historic ProportionsThe aftermath of Trump's address was nothing short of a cringe-fest. The low ratings and embarrassing screenshots that flooded social media were a testament to the public's growing disillusionment. Yet, as much as we revel in these petty victories, they distract from the larger issue at hand—the systemic failures that allowed such a figure to rise to the highest office in the land.Conclusion: A Call to ActionAs entertaining as it may be to dissect the spectacle of Trump's latest State of the Union, we must not lose sight of the forest for the trees. The revelations from the Epstein Files are a stark reminder of the corruption and moral bankruptcy at the heart of our political system. Democrats and all those who stand for justice must keep the focus on Epstein and ensure that this chapter of American history is not repeated.The saga of Trump and Epstein is not just a scandal; it's a symptom of a deeper malaise that afflicts our body politic. It's high time we demand more from our leaders and ourselves.

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Transcript:President Donald Trump is being trashed for the false claims he made last night in his speech, distorting the truth about the economy. But one former Republican leader said something worse is happening. Speaking to MS NOW's Katy Tur, fellow host Michael Steele said that voters are already telling the country that whatever efforts Trump has attempted aren't working. "He's upside down, not just with the broad swath of Americans. Independents, he's lost 43 points with Independents. He's down 16 points with his own base. I mean, come on," said Steele. He said that support among Republicans may still be high, but losing any ground is a unique situation for Trump. "But here, let's level-set what we're talking about here. You know this, you've known this, and followed this guy from the very moment he stepped on the stage. He doesn't care about the politics of politics within the organs and the sinews of a party to get folks elected and connect that to a broader message, to sort of drag the laggards to the —" Steele said before he was cut off by Tur. "He doesn't care about Congress," she said. Steele argued that Trump doesn't care about anything other than himself. For those working in Republican Party politics, Trump would never be someone to rely on. "So, if you're in the game of politics, [and] the titular head of your party doesn't even care that you're there, meaning your fate is not aligned with his, and his is not aligned with yours, particularly in a congressional cycle where they should be aligned. That's how you don't lose 63 House seats if you're the Democratic Party, or what's going to happen to Republicans this November," said Steele. Tur said that Trump has always been the one to say he can do everything by himself and doesn't need help from anyone to accomplish his goals. Now he's in a position where he holds every house of Congress, and the Supreme Court is dominated by conservatives. Steele and Tur agreed that Trump still can't get anything passed because Republicans are unwilling to work with Democrats on bipartisan legislation. "So, there's been basically no legislation," he said. It means that Trump has turned House and Senate Republicans "irrelevant," so it ultimately hurts their reelection campaigns. "Here's the kicker. Republicans in the House and Senate have made themselves irrelevant because at any juncture, particularly after the decision by the Supreme Court on tariffs, that's a moment where you step in. The Supreme Court is giving you your power back," continued Steele. It's a rare opportunity to work on tariffs, Steele said, and show Americans that they are relevant again. What Speaker Mike Johnson did, however, was to continue allowing Trump to run the show. The two compared it to having someone throw a ball and stepping aside, letting it sit. Tur simply couldn't understand why. "Because they're mini men," he said. "They play small ball. From the very beginning, they always saw Donald Trump as something that he was not. And they gave him power he did not have because Donald Trump wasn't in the districts. He may endorse you, but he's not running your race. He's not managing your campaign. He's not getting you elected. They made him who he is," Steele closed. "And at no time along the way have they decided that this individual is not in our political best interest. And the political calculation for that was realized when Mitch McConnell refused to convict after Jan. 6," he said. - YouTube youtu. be

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Transcript:One of President Donald Trump's large donors and the Treasury Department Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John Hurley, is officially out, and it's over targeting a specific group of people. The Washington Post confirmed on Wednesday that he was leaving after a huge conflict with Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over targeting the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota. Hurley began telling some of his colleagues last week that he was leaving, as Bloomberg reported, but the reason wasn't clear. According to those who spoke to the Post, Hurley was "uneasy with the extent of White House directives to deploy law enforcement tools against Minneapolis’s Somali community. Two of the people said he raised data privacy concerns over the plans in question." The Trump administration wanted to begin monitoring people's financial transactions and demanded its top financial terrorist lead the mission. Many of the Somali people in Minnesota are documented immigrants and refugees, and are here legally. Hurley denied the premise of the article when the Post called for comment. In a statement, Hurley promoted his team as “the tip of the spear pushing back to stop Somalia fraud in Minnesota.”“Anyone who has told you I do not proudly support these 'America First' efforts is either uninformed or malicious,” he said. The so-called "Somalia fraud" goes back to an investigation that began four years ago under President Joe Biden's administration and continues today. "The White House had issued 'marching orders' on cracking down in Minnesota as part of an 'admin-wide priority,'" one official told the Post. Top Homeland Security Official Tom Homan announced that the federal agents were leaving Minneapolis, however. "The official emphasized that the disagreement over the Minnesota initiative was not the only reason Hurley was leaving the job, that he had mutually agreed with Bessent that the role was not the right fit for him, and that Hurley is still in good standing with the White House for other potential administration roles," claimed the report. A Trump ally said that Bessent is under a lot of pressure from the White House to show results. “Trump needs something for 2026 on Somalia," they said. They didn't clarify why.

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Transcript:Tennessee Republican State Rep. Monty Fritts, who’s eyeing running for Governor, has proposed legislation that would put women in that state who’ve had abortions in the electric chair. Republican policy has already killed hundreds of pregnant women: those who live in a red state with an abortion ban (almost all of them) are more than twice as likely to die during pregnancy or immediately after childbirth than women who live in states that allow abortion. The founding principle of America is freedom, a word that’s been a touchstone for the GOP since the days of Ronald Reagan. Thomas Jefferson identified what his generation meant when using that word when he wrote in the Declaration of Independence:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”Today, however, all three of these rights that secure freedom’s predicates — “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” — are under assault by Trump and his Republican lickspittles. So much for “Life”: Masked, armed ICE thugs have murdered two American citizens and multiple immigrants on the streets of our country in the first few weeks of this year, and women are dying in red states for lack of healthcare as Republican lawmakers substitute their obsession with controlling female bodies for the judgement of physicians. An estimated 50,000 Americans — men, women, children — die every year in this country for lack of health care (and another 500,000 families are wiped out in bankruptcy) because Republicans refuse to even consider a national health care system like every other developed country in the world has. Or “Liberty”: Trump’s secret police are compiling lists of people who’ve protested against them, are routinely smashing in front doors and car windows and imprisoning people without the warrants the Fourth Amendment requires, and are now even demanding — again, without judicial warrants — that all of the big social media companies turn over details on anybody who’s criticized ICE online. All of the companies, it appears, are complying out of fear that Trump will retaliate against them. Or “the pursuit of Happiness”: Two entire generations are crippled with student debt since the Reagan Revolution ended free or cheap college in America; only about a tenth of Americans have the protection of a union since the GOP declared war on organized labor in 1981; and while you and I are paying income tax rates approaching 50 percent in some states, billionaires and giant corporations pay virtually nothing. Our freedom to know what’s happening in the world and within our government is under attack by an administration that echoes Stalin’s “enemy of the people” and Hitler’s “Lugenpresse” (“lying press” or “fake news”) language as it sues and arrests journalists like Don Lemon for doing their jobs. Funding for NPR/PBS was ended, at the same time Trump surrendered the foreign information wars to Russia by killing off the Voice of America. Our freedom to live without being poisoned is under attack by Trump’s regime gutting clean air and water protections while Bob Kennedy cheerleads Trump’s expanding production of cancer-causing herbicides like glyphosate. Our freedom to vote is under direct assault by Republicans who want to purge from the voting rolls women who changed their names when they got married, as well as literally hundreds of smaller attacks on our right to vote across the Red states. Our freedom to live without fear of our homes being destroyed by extreme weather is gone, as Trump and his GOP toadies gut our protections from greenhouse gasses, kill off Biden’s green energy programs, and bring back expensive coal to produce electricity. Our freedom to be represented by people the majority of Americans want in office is similarly crippled: as reporter Greg Palast points out, if the 4+ million citizens who were either purged from the rolls or whose votes were challenged and thus not counted in the 2024 election had been able to cast their ballots, we’d have Kamala Harris as president and a Democratic-controlled House and perhaps even Senate. Our freedom to live in a world at peace has been kneecapped by Republican administrations that lied us into war with Iraq and Afghanistan, now threaten war with Iran, and keep increasing military spending while pleading poverty when it comes to the needs of working people and their communities. Our freedom to live in a nation free of corruption has been destroyed by the most corrupt administration in the history of America. Tom Homan taking a $50,000 bribe. Pam Bondi taking a $25,000 bribe. Kristi Noem and her boyfriend (both married to other people) flying around at taxpayer expense in a lavish “flying bordello” 737 with two plush bedrooms. Trump’s and Witkoff’s kids making billions off corrupt deals while “representing America” overseas. Our freedom to a stable economy free of manipulation by the morbidly rich is gone, as the Reagan, Bush, and Trump tax cuts have run up a $38 trillion national debt. We’re paying more now in interest on the national debt — over a trillion dollars a year — than it would cost to solve much of the problems of homelessness, student debt, and healthcare in this country. All so over $50 trillion could be transferred from the middle class to the Epstein billionaire class over the past 40+ years. Our children’s freedom to a safe, secure childhood has been shattered by decades of Republican obeisance to their donors in the weapons industry; kids are regularly thrown into a state of terror by active shooter drills in their schools and the knowledge that in America — and only in American — the bullets could start flying anytime, anywhere. Our right to religious freedom — and freedom from religion as well — is under daily assault by wealthy Christian nationalist fanatics and hypocrites like “Whiskey Pete” Hegseth forcing extremist Christianity on our troops and states forcing the Ten Commandments on their own schoolchildren. (A list of commandments that have all been violated by our current president.)Even our businesspeople are losing their freedoms: Trump is now threatening publicly traded Netflix with “consequences” unless they remove former Obama administration official Susan Rice from their board. He’s extorting millions in “donations” and “gifts” from corporate CEOs while making billions for himself and his corrupt family. And small businesses across the nation are being crushed by monopolies that 45 years of Reaganism have allowed to flourish. When American oligarchs and their rightwing media shills rant about “freedom,” they mean freedom from taxes and regulation so they can get richer and poison the world for profit while they systematically crush workers. They’re calling for an end to personal and corporate responsibility, but only for themselves. Freedom isn’t a slogan (although Republicans have abused it as one for decades): it’s found in the lived experience of average people. When Americans can no longer feel safe in our bodies and homes, secure in our votes, stable in our economy, and confident in our education and healthcare, then Jefferson’s “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” have become aspirational again rather than actual. Which appears to be exactly how the neofascists who’ve taken over the GOP want it

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Transcript:As I’ve painfully done before, I watched Donald Trump’s State of the Union address so that you didn’t have to. And I hope you didn’t, as you will never get those almost two hours back. It was truly torturous. If you did, I’m sure you saw what I saw: a delusional, mentally declining man yelling stuff and popping our speakers, claiming everything was great and forcing his GOP subjects to stand and applaud. I am not going to go through many specifics here because you’ve heard it all before: The golden age, “an economy for the ages,” prices are “coming down.” It was just the same lies. He said tariffs were a winning policy for America. He only briefly addressed the Supreme Court ruling while pushing his new tariffs, and he laughably claimed tariffs would “replace the income tax.” The camera at that point panned to Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who had an “over my dead body” look on her face. Trump touted himself as a president who’s done an extraordinary job and he cast the Democrats as villains, people who are “crazy,” angrily pointing at them as members of his Cabinet and many Republicans in the room stood and applauded. The speech also had its vicious racism and violence portion, attacking Somalis and celebrating mass deportations by his masked thugs of ICE. And there was the assault on transgender children and their families — that’s when Trump called Democrats “crazy” for actually standing by kids. Trump focused on pre-planned narratives of people in the audience and used their stories, including the now-disgraced US Olympic men’s ice hockey team — though I was glad to see that five members of the team did not attend or go for a visit to the White House before. And there was so much more — so, so, so much more — as this was the longest State of the Union in memory. When Trump speaks longer, it’ a sign that deep down he believes he’s in big trouble. He thinks that if he just says stuff over and over and dominates an audience’s time, he’ll convince people. A true narcissist. But the bottom line: We could not have asked for anything better. Trump doubled down on every horrible, unpopular thing he has done. He claimed this terrible mess of an economy is wonderful and celebrated the violence and racism he’s brought us. He lied and lied. And the entire GOP cheered him on. They can’t break from it, either deep in the cult or too afraid. And it will likely take them down in November. Governor Abigail Spanberger of Virginia gave one of the best rebuttals from the opposition party I’ve seen. She was concise yet very specific and had substance, gravity, and urgency. She took apart Trump’s claims and focused on the wreckage: the attacks on our democracy and the killing of Americans in the streets. She highlighted Democratic wins — including her landslide win last November — and the Democratic enthusiasm. It was serious yet also upbeat and pitch perfect as she stood before an audience that applauded her at times. This was a far cry from Katie Britt in her kitchen — remember that?! — and a sweating, water-guzzling Marco Rubio. There will be no SNL skit — except about Trump. Even though Trump’s speech, like that of most presidents, was watched by a higher percentage of people from his own party, CNN’s poll of viewers showed it to be the least popular SOTU this century, with only 38 percent of viewers calling it “very positive.” That’s Trump tanking with his own base. Per CNN political director David Chalian, “The polling universe [of those who watched the speech] is about 13 points more Republican than the overall population.”The GOP is now trapped, frozen until November, as Trump has decided what the message is: Voters are wrong about what they’re feeling, and I’m right about what I’m saying. That’s a recipe for disaster. Michelangelo Signorile writes The Signorile Report, a free and reader-supported Substack. If you’ve valued reading The Signorile Report, consider becoming a paid subscriber and supporting independent, ad-free opinion journalism.

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Transcript:President Donald Trump raged at a pair of Democratic lawmakers and a Hollywood legend – and threatened to deport them all. Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) each shouted at the 79-year-old president Tuesday night during his record-long State of the Union address before walking out before he finished, and Trump castigated them the following day on his Truth Social website."When you watch Low IQ Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, as they screamed uncontrollably last night at the very elegant State of the Union, such an important and beautiful event, they had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized," Trump posted. Omar called out that Trump should be "ashamed" and Tlaib called him a liar, and both of them shouted that he had "killed Americans" as part of his immigration crackdown, and the president threatened to send Omar, who was born in Somalia, and Tlaib, who was born in Detroit, back to their places of origin."When people can behave like that, and knowing that they are Crooked and Corrupt Politicians, so bad for our Country, we should send them back from where they came — as fast as possible," Trump posted. "They can only damage the United States of America, they can do nothing to help it."Trump then sneered at actor Robert DeNiro, whose criticism he claimed was worthy of criminal prosecution."They should actually get on a boat with Trump Deranged Robert De Niro, another sick and demented person with, I believe, an extremely Low IQ, who has absolutely no idea what he is doing or saying — some of which is seriously CRIMINAL!" Trump posted. "When I watched him break down in tears last night, much like a child would do, I realized that he may be even sicker than Crazy Rosie O’Donnell, who is right now in Ireland trying to figure out how to come back into our beautiful United States.""The only difference between De Niro and Rosie is that she is probably somewhat smarter than him, which isn’t saying much," he added. "The good news is that America is now Bigger, Better, Richer, and Stronger than ever before, and it’s driving them absolutely crazy! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP."

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Transcript:Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) lost it during a confirmation hearing with President Donald Trump's surgeon general nominee, Dr. Casey Means. Means, a wellness coach and influencer, accomplished her medical degree but never went through a residency program, leading critics to question some of her qualifications. She currently doesn't have an active medical license. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had questions about vaccine policy and studying vaccines. After Sanders asked his questions, Mullin began with a targeted attack on Sanders. At one point, he attacked Sanders for supporting the Affordable Care Act, which Mullin claimed was no longer affordable."No, I support a national healthcare program which would cut the —" Sanders said shouting over Mullin."I'm sorry, it's my time," Mullin said as Sanders talked over him."But you're attacking me!" Sanders exclaimed. "Nah, I'm pointing' out facts!" Mullin yelled back. "You can say what you want I'm just pointing' out facts.""No. You're pointing out lies," said Sanders. Mullin went off on a bit more in his speech before saying, "I'm sorry, I ranted too long.""Yes you did," Sanders quipped. That's when Mullin lost it. "I'm sorry, I didn't ask your opinion on that. If I cared about your opinion I would ask you. But I don't care about your opinion. You're part of the system. You're part of the problem," Mullin raged. "You've been sittin' here longer than I've even been alive!" Mullin continued. Sanders was elected to the U. S. Senate in 2006. Before that he was elected to the U. S. House in 1991. Mullin was born in 1977. "This is your problem!" Mullin said. "You should have fixed this a long time ago. You've been railing' on it so long, what have you been doing?""I decided not to run for Surgeon General," Sanders quipped, moving back to speak to the witness. "That is something we'd never accept," said Mullin.

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Transcript:The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the president of conservative insurgency group the Georgia Republican Assembly has been hit with a $500k fine for his part in a massive Ponzi scheme that primarily afflicted Republican donors. The office of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger alleges that Nathaniel Darnell “used religion and shared political views to recruit some of his clients and steered them toward investments in First Liberty,” the force behind the scam that has either incriminated or victimized whole sectors of Georgia’s MAGA and Tea Party movements. In addition to the hefty fine and a “cease and desist” order for conducting business, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office also referred Darnell to a district attorney for potential criminal prosecution over allegations he deceived investors in First Liberty Building & Loan.“It’s the latest fallout from the collapse of First Liberty, a failed lender that federal regulators have labeled a $140 million Ponzi scheme, and a sign that the state’s investigation is spreading to more people and firms that were in its orbit,” reports AJC. Darnell, who previously worked for notable Republican politicians and was once executive director of the Cobb County Republican Party, sold unregistered First Liberty investments to nearly four dozen clients without telling his employer, Bankers Life Advisory Services, according to the complaint. He also concealed from clients and his employer that he earned commissions totaling “nearly $250,000 over several years.”Georgia Republicans are loathe to denounce the Ponzi scheme connected to Republican financier and First Liberty founder Brant Frost IV, despite the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission accusing Frost IV of orchestrating the scheme that funneled millions to his family in under the pretense of boosting far-right politicians. Ffederal authorities have since frozen the company’s assets. Meanwhile, state investigators, including President Donald Trump’s nemesis, Raffensperger — a Republican — is pursuing his own investigations into campaign finance issues and alleging violations of state securities laws. The state ethics commission, also, has joined the fight, charging the Georgia Republican Assembly PAC with “61 civil violations of state campaign finance laws, accusing it of illegally trying to sway elections,” according to the AJC. The Commission later added the Georgia Republican Assembly — led by Darnell — as a defendant. The AJC reports victims include Republicans like 93-year-old retiree Jay McMaster, who heard about First Liberty Building & Loan and it’s MAGA crusade on conservative radio.

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Transcript:The gold-medal-winning U. S. women's hockey team delivered its second rejection to President Donald Trump this week. On Monday, the team first snubbed Trump after he issued an invitation to hear him speak at his State of the Union address."We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U. S. Women's Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement," the team said in a statement at the time. "Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment."The rejection came hours after Trump suggested he would be impeached if he did not invite the women players to the White House. On Wednesday, the team made it clear that a White House visit wasn't happening anytime soon."Players are back competing with their professional and collegiate teams and are in the midst of their season," the women's team said in a new statement. "They're honored and grateful to be invited, and any opportunity to visit the White House as a team will be based on their schedules once their seasons conclude."During his State of the Union speech, Trump promised that "the American women [players] will soon be coming to the White House."

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Transcript:Hollywood icon Robert De Niro launched a series of blistering attacks against President Donald Trump this week – remarks that prompted Trump to suggest De Niro should be deported and ignited outrage among many MAGA supporters.“Giant acting talent. But a sad, angry little man,” wrote Fox News’ Laura Ingraham in a social media post on X Wednesday in response to De Niro’s comments. De Niro sat down with MS NOW’s Nicole Wallace on Sunday and delivered an emotional plea to Americans to continue resisting Trump, Yahoo Entertainment reported. And on Tuesday, he delivered even more rebukes of the president during an event held to counter the State of the Union address.“The bottom line is that I feel betrayed by my country; it doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to return to the values that gave us our strength and humanity,” De Niro said at the event on Tuesday.“If you want our leaders to be accountable, if you’re devoted to the Constitution and the rule of law, if you want the United States of America to be worthy of your love, be ready to take to the streets together, and we will take our country back.”Perhaps unsurprisingly, De Niro’s remarks were met with scorn among many self-proclaimed MAGA followers.“This guy is pathetic,” wrote X user “Joe Macinnis,” a frequent political commentator whose bio reads “absolute MAGA FOREVER,” to their more than 11,000 followers. “He got [Trump Derangement Syndrome].”“WASHED UP ACTOR,” wrote another, X user “Dante Rossi,” another conservative political commentator and self-proclaimed MAGA follower, to their more than 21,000 followers. De Niro has frequently been the target of MAGA scorn for his outspoken views on Trump, including from Trump’s own White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, who last year called De Niro a “sad, broken old man.”

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