4/26/2023

2024 ELECTION: “A central part of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid is a promise to dismantle the ‘deep state.’

‘Either the deep state destroys America or we destroy the deep state,’ the former president declared in March at his first rally.

He has also vowed ‘retribution’ for his political enemies, saying that if he gets back into the White House ‘their reign is over.’

Last month, Trump released a list of proposals to take down what many conservatives believe is a secret cabal of government workers who wield enormous power and work against Republicans.”

-Allan Smith, “Trump zeroes in on a key target of his ‘retribution’ agenda: Government workers,” nbcnews.com, April 26, 2023

4/26/2023

JOE BIDEN/POLLS/RON DESANTIS: “Former President Donald Trump maintains his advantage in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race, as support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis falls for the second month in a row, according to a new Fox News survey. In addition, President Joe Biden bests his challengers in the survey’s first test of a Democratic nomination contest.

Biden gets the backing of 62% of Democratic primary voters, far ahead of Robert Kennedy Jr. at 19% and Marianne Williamson at 9%. His opponents are most successful in peeling away support among women and Gen Xers, keeping Biden in the mid-fifties among both groups.”

-Dana Blanton, “Fox News Poll: Trump still top 2024 Republican preference, DeSantis slipping,” foxnews.com, April 26, 2023

4/26/2023

LAWSUIT: “They got caught lying! The Miss Bergdorf Goodman case is financed by a big political donor that they tried to hide. Does anybody believe that I would take a then almost 60 year old woman that I didn’t know, from the front door of a very crowded department store, (with me being very well known, to put it mildly!), into a tiny dressing room, and …. her. She didn’t scream? There are no witnesses? Nobody saw this? She never made a police complaint? If I was seen there with a woman-BIG PRESS. SCAM!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 26, 2023

4/27/2023

JOHN MCCAIN: “Former President Trump returned to his criticism of former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who died in 2018, poking fun at the longtime lawmaker’s funeral in a new book, saying ‘much like his wars, it never ended.’

‘I never warmed to him, never felt good about anybody having anything to do with John McCain and never will, even despite the fact that at their request, I gave him the world’s longest funeral, 11 days,’ Trump wrote in his new $95 book ‘Letters to Trump,’ excerpts of which were published by the New York Post.”

-Stephen Neukam, “Trump targets McCain’s funeral in book: ‘Like his wars, it never ended,'” thehill.com, April 27, 2023 

4/27/2023

2020 ELECTION/2024 ELECTION/MIKE PENCE: “A federal appeals court on Wednesday night moved former Vice President Mike Pence closer to appearing before a grand jury investigating efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, rejecting a bid by lawyers for former President Donald Trump to block the testimony.

It was not immediately clear what day Pence might appear before the grand jury, which for months has been investigating the events preceding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and efforts by Trump and his allies to subvert the election outcome. But Pence’s testimony, coming as he inches toward a likely entrance in the 2024 presidential race, would be a milestone moment in the investigation and would likely give prosecutors a key first-person account as they press forward with their inquiry.”

-Eric Tucker, “Trump’s effort to block Pence grand jury testimony rejected by court,” pbs.org, April 27, 2023

4/27/2023

2024 ELECTION/JOW BIDEN: “Biden announced his presidential campaign by, get this, a prepackaged video, one that took 7 takes to get it ‘right,’ if right is what you want to call it. In it he says TRUMP & MAGA pose a threat to Democracy. NO, IT IS BIDEN WHO POSES THE THREAT TO DEMOCRACY IN THAT HE IS GROSSLY INCOMPETENT AND BASICALLY, DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE! WE ARE NOW A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE, A NATION THAT HAS LOST ITS WAY. WE ARE LED BY A HOPELESS PERSON, BUT WE WILL WIN IN 2024 AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 27, 2023

4/30/2023

LEGAL/NEW YORK: “This Article, as written in The Wall Street Journal, is a truthful and very important one. The whole New York Judicial System is RIGGED against me, and everyone knows it. It’s a disgrace, and not only this Judge, there are others that are just as bad or, believe it or not, worse! It’s all a political Witch Hunt, in coordination with heavy handed, dishonest, and highly partisan prosecutors, working in conjunction with D.C. ‘Justice,’ the likes of which our Country has never seen before!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 30, 2023

4/30/2023

RON DESANTIS: “DeSanctimonious had nothing to do with Israel, or the moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Never so much as mentioned it to me—It was the last thing on his mind. DeSanctus wasn’t even Governor yet (It was December 6, 2017), and I barely knew him—He has turned out to be a total flameout! This is the kind of disinformation I thought only the Democrats would put out. No wonder DeSanctus is dropping like a rock in the Polls. Terrible!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 30, 2023

4/30/2023

RON DESANTIS: “I couldn’t care less if Ron DeSanctus runs, but the problem is the Bill he is about to sign, which allows him to run without resigning from being Governor, totally weakens Election Integrity in Florida. Instead of getting tough, and doing what the people want (same day voting, Voter ID, proof of Citizenship, paper ballots, hand count, etc.) this Bill guts everything….

….It will allow dirty Voter rolls to get dirtier, weakens transparency, and is a total mess. It’s simple, all we want is a Free and Fair Election, and an honest count.”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 30, 2023

4/30/2023

2020 ELECTION/GEORGIA: “The Phone Call that the Radical Left Democrats and other Enemies to our Country keep talking about in Georgia [in the 2020 election] was PERFECT, with no Statements made that were out of order or, in any way, shape, or form wrong. The evidence is plain and conclusive that none of the many lawyers or others on the Call, hung up in disgust or reprimanded me, or the people representing me, in any way. As was stated on the call by me plainly, and for all to hear, ‘WE JUST WANT THE TRUTH. IT’S SIMPLE.’”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, April 30, 2023

5/1/2023

LAWSUIT: “A federal judge overseeing a civil battery and defamation trial involving Donald Trump has denied the former president’s motion for a mistrial.

The ruling came before E. Jean Carroll, the columnist who sued Trump, again took the stand for cross-examination in a session that included questions about a ‘Law & Order SVU’ episode and Trump’s former program ‘The Apprentice.’

Trump had argued that Judge Lewis Kaplan had made ‘pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings’ against him.”

-Kara Scannell and Lauren del Valle, “Trump’s motion for mistrial in battery case is denied as questioning of E. Jean Carroll concludes,” cnn.com, May 1, 2023

5/1/2023

LEGAL: “Lawyers for Donald J. Trump on Monday [May 1, 2023] pushed back against an effort by the Manhattan district attorney’s office to limit the former president’s ability to publicly discuss evidence in the criminal case against him.

The district attorney’s office last week asked the judge in the case to restrict Mr. Trump’s access to some case material…

In a court filing, Mr. Trump’s lawyers called the prosecutors’ request ‘extreme.'”

-Jonah E. Bromwich and William K. Rashbaum, “Trump’s Lawyers Fight Bragg’s Effort to Limit Access to Evidence,” nytimes.com, May 1, 2023

5/2/2023

2024 ELECTION/POLLS/RON DESANTIS: “Former President Donald Trump has opened up a 36% lead on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a new 2024 Republican presidential poll even as he fends off growing legal problems.

The survey puts Trump’s support at 58% of GOP voters compared to just 22% for DeSantis, who has faded badly in recent months.

Republican voters are rallying behind Trump as he battles a historic indictment tied to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels and a civil rape trial over allegations by writer E. Jean Carroll.”

-Dave Goldiner, “Trump opens up 36% lead over DeSantis in new 2024 Republican poll,” news.yahoo.com, May 2, 2023

5/2/2023

RELIGION/TAXES: “In an interview on a Christian nationalist broadcast, Donald Trump vowed to empower religious leaders politically, by permanently ending restrictions against churches that weigh in on elections. “They’ve silenced you,” said Trump. “Christianity, I believe is being hit much harder than any other religion is.”

In his comments, aired Tuesday night, Trump blasted the so-called Johnson amendment, which dictates that nonprofits, including churches, lose their tax-free status if they weigh in directly on politics. ‘We never enforced it. We essentially ended it,’ Trump bragged of his time in the White House, adding with regret, ‘I wasn’t able to finish it. But I’ll finish it this time.'”

-Tim Dickinson, “Trump Vows to Empower Political Pastors on Christian Nationalist Broadcast,” rollingstone.com, May 2, 2023

5/2/2023

2024 ELECTION/DEBATES/RON DESANTIS: “The leading Republican candidate for president, Donald J. Trump, is likely to skip at least one of the first two debates of the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, according to five people who have discussed the matter with the former president…

In private comments to aides and confidants in recent weeks, Mr. Trump has made it clear that he does not want to breathe life into his Republican challengers by sharing the stage with them. Mr. Trump has led his nearest rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, by around 30 percentage points in recent polls. All other contenders are polling in single digits.”

-Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, “Trump Likely to Sit Out One or Both of First Two G.O.P. Debates,” nytimes.com, May 2, 2023

5/8/2023

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS/DOJ/INVESTIGATIONS: “An investigation into Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents has intensified in recent weeks, with prosecutors summoning a broad range of witnesses before a federal grand jury and zeroing in on questions of whether the former president or others obstructed government efforts to recover the records.

It remains unclear when the investigation led by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith might end or whether Trump might face charges over documents found at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate. But as probes in Washington and Atlanta proceed, Republican critics of Trump see an opportunity for intensifying legal woes to take away his frontrunner mantle in the 2024 presidential race in a way that an earlier indictment in New York failed to do.”

-Eric Tucker and Steve Peoples, “As Trump probes intensify, foes of ex-president see opening,” apnews.com, May 8, 2023

5/8/2023

LEGAL/NEW YORK/SOCIAL MEDIA: “The New York state judge presiding over the criminal hush money case against Donald Trump issued an order Monday restricting the former president from posting about some evidence in the case on social media.

Judge Juan Merchan largely sided with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg by limiting what Trump can publicly disclose about new evidence from the prosecution before the case goes to trial…

Prosecutors had argued they needed ‘safeguards that will protect the integrity of the materials,’ saying the ‘risk’ that Trump would use them ‘inappropriately is substantial.’”

-Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian, “Trump prohibited from posting evidence in hush money case to social media, judge rules,” nbcnews.com, May 8, 2023

5/9/2023

LAWSUIT: “A Manhattan jury on Tuesday [May 9, 2023] found former President Donald J. Trump liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of the magazine writer E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages in a widely watched civil trial that sought to apply the accountability of the #MeToo era to a dominant political figure…

The jury, in returning its verdict shortly after 3 p.m. said Ms. Carroll had not proved, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Mr. Trump had raped her, as she had long claimed…

The jury’s unanimous verdicts came after just under three hours of deliberation in Federal District Court in Manhattan. Its findings are civil, not criminal, meaning Mr. Trump has not been convicted of any crime and faces no prison time.”

-Benjamin Weiser, Lola Fadulu and Kate Christobek, “Jury Sides With Writer Who Says That Trump Sexually Abused Her,” nytimes.com, May 9, 2023

5/9/2023

2024 ELECTION/MELANIA: “Melania Trump supports her husband’s re-election campaign, telling Fox News Digital that she looks forward to working alongside former President Trump in ‘restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength’ during a second term in the White House.

Mrs. Trump told Fox News Digital that if she has ‘the privilege’ to serve as first lady again in 2024, she would continue to prioritize initiatives focused on the well-being and development of children, to ensure they have the ‘support and resources they need to reach their full potential.’”

-Brooke Singeman, “Melania fully behind Trump’s 2024 campaign, says it would be a ‘privilege’ to serve as first lady again,” foxnews.com, May 9, 2023

5/9/2023

MEDIA: “Former President Trump blasted CNN on Tuesday, a day ahead of his scheduled sit-down with Kaitlan Collins, one of the network’s leading anchors, for a rare town hall event in New Hampshire.

‘I’ll be doing CNN tomorrow night, LIVE from the Great State of New Hampshire, because they are rightfully desperate to get those fantastic (TRUMP!) ratings once again,’ the former president wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.

‘They made me a deal I couldn’t refuse!!! Could be the beginning of a New & Vibrant CNN, with no more Fake News, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me. Let’s see what happens?’

The network announced last week it would hold a town hall style event with Trump and New Hampshire voters Wednesday, the first such event the former president has sat for in years.”

-Dominick Mastrangelo, “Trump says ‘desperate’ CNN made him interview offer he ‘couldn’t refuse,’” thehill.com, May 9, 2023

5/10/2023

2020 ELECTION: “We got 12 million more votes [in the 2020 election] than we had in – as you know, in 2016. I actually say we did far better in that election, got the most that anybody’s ever gotten as a sitting president of the United States.

I think that, when you look at that result and when you look at what happened during that election, unless you’re a very stupid person, you see what happens.

A lot of the people – a lot of the people in this audience and perhaps maybe a couple that don’t, but most people understand what happened.

That was a rigged election, and it’s a shame that we had to go through it. It’s very bad for our country. All over the world, they looked at it, and they saw exactly what everyone else saw.”

-Donald Trump via CNN, “READ: Transcript of CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump,” cnn.com, May 11, 2023

5/10/2023

PARDONS: [Audience question: “My question to you is: will you pardon the January 6th rioters who were convicted of federal offenses?”] “I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can’t say for every single one because a couple of them, probably, they got out of control.

But, you know, when you look at Antifa, what they’ve done to Portland, and if you look at Antifa, look at what they’ve done to Minneapolis and so many other – so many other places, look at what they did to Seattle. And BLM – BLM, many people were killed.

These people – I’m not trying to justify anything, but you have two standards of justice in this country, and what they’ve done – and I love that question because what they’ve done to see many people is nothing – nothing. And then what they’ve done to these people, they’ve persecuted these people.

And yeah, my answer is I am most likely – if I get in, I will most likely – I would say it will be a large portion of them…

And it’ll be very early on. And they’re living in hell right now… and they’re policemen, and they’re firemen, and they’re soldiers, and they’re carpenters and electricians and they’re great people. Many of them are just great people.”

-Donald Trump via CNN, “READ: Transcript of CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump,” cnn.com, May 11, 2023

5/10/2023

CELEBS/DONALDISM: “I said if you’re famous and rich or whatever I said, but I said if you’re a star, you are – and I said women let you. I didn’t say you grab. I said women let. You know you didn’t use that word, but if you look, women let you.

Now, they said will you take that back? I said, look, for a million years, this is the way it’s been. I want to be honest. This is the way it’s been. I can take it back if you’d like to.

But if you’re a famous person, if you’re a star – and I’m not referring to myself. I’m saying people that are famous, people that are stars.”

-Donald Trump via CNN, “READ: Transcript of CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump,” cnn.com, May 11, 2023

5/10/2023

2A/GUNS: [Kaitlan Collins: “If you are re-elected, are there any new gun restrictions that you would sign into law?”]

“I would do numerous things. For instance, schools, we would harden, very – very much harden – and I also, I’m a very believer – I believe in teachers; I love teachers. I think they’re incredible, and they love the children – not quite like the parents, but they love the children, in many cases, almost as much.

Many of these teachers are soldiers, ex-soldiers, ex-policemen. They’re people that really understand weapons. And you don’t need – 5 percent of the teachers would be more than you could ever have if you’re going to hire security guards. But in addition to that, have security guards. You have to harden your entrances. You have to make schools safe.

And you can make other places safe. But it is a big mental health problem in this country more than anything else. And remember, we have 700 million guns – 700 million. Many people, if they don’t have a gun, they’re not going to be very safe. I mean, if they don’t have a gun – it gives them security. Now, you need them for entertainment; you need them for hunting; you need them for a lot of different things. But there are people that, if they didn’t have the privilege of having a gun in some form, they – many of them would not be alive today.”

-Donald Trump via CNN, “READ: Transcript of CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump,” cnn.com, May 11, 2023

5/10/2023

ABORTION: [Kaitlan Collins: “But if you are re-elected… and you’re back in the Oval Office, and you get legislation to your desk, would you sign a federal abortion ban into law?”]

“What I will do is negotiate so that people are happy…

President Trump is going to make a determination what he thinks is great for the country and what’s fair for the country. But the fact that I was able to terminate Roe v. Wade, after 50 years of trying – they worked for 50 years. I’ve never seen anything like it. They worked – and I was even – I was so honored to have done it. We are in a very good negotiating position right now, only because of what I was able to do.

And remember this, again, you talk about radicalism. People that will kill a baby in the ninth month or the eighth month or the seventh month, or after the baby is born, they’re the radicals, not the pro-life people…

I’ll make the right decision.”

-Donald Trump via CNN, “READ: Transcript of CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump,” cnn.com, May 11, 2023

5/10/2023

UKRAINE/VLADIMIR PUTIN: “If I were president, this would have never happened. And even the Democrats admit that. Putin knew it would have never happened and his pipeline would have never happened…

And all those dead people, both Russian and Ukrainian, it wouldn’t – they wouldn’t be dead today. And all those cities that are blown up and disintegrated right to the ground, that wouldn’t have happened, OK?…

If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours… First, I’ll meet with Putin, I’ll meet with Zelenskyy. They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths. And within 24 hours that war will be settled. It will be over. It will be absolutely over.”

-Donald Trump via CNN, “READ: Transcript of CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump,” cnn.com, May 11, 2023

5/11/2023

2020 ELECTION/MEDIA: “Donald Trump’s hour-plus appearance on a cable news town hall forum on Wednesday night was barely over when his political rivals – both announced and prospective – began firing out tweets, statements and press releases attacking the Republican front-runner for next year’s White House election.

The forum, hosted by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, was a combative spectacle, with topics ranging from abortion to foreign policy to Mr Trump’s unfounded claims of 2020 election fraud and sympathy for those arrested for the 6 January 2021 US Capitol attack…

For their part, however, Mr Trump’s campaign team claimed the evening was a success. Their candidate had more than an hour of prime-time attention before a crowd that gave him a standing ovation upon arrival, laughed at his jokes and applauded as he sparred with Ms Collins.”

-Anthony Zurcher, “Trump CNN town hall: ‘Nonsense’ – Republican rivals blast performance,” bbc.com, May 11, 2023

5/14/2023

HOLIDAY: “Happy Mother’s Day to ALL, in particular the Mothers, Wives and Lovers of the Radical Left Fascists, Marxists, and Communists who are doing everything within their power to destroy and obliterate our once great Country. Please make these complete Lunatics and Maniacs Kinder, Gentler, Softer and, most importantly, Smarter, so that we can, quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 14, 2023

5/15/2023

FBI/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/WILLIAM BARR: “The special counsel who spent four years investigating the Trump-Russia probe accused the FBI of acting negligently by opening the investigation based on vague and insufficient information in a sweeping 300-page report made public Monday [May 15, 2023].

Special counsel John Durham, named by then-Attorney General William Barr to examine the origins and conduct of the investigation into whether Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia, criticized the FBI at length in the report.”

-Ken Dilanian, “Durham report criticizes FBI for launching 2016 Trump-Russia probe,” nbcnews.com, May 15, 2023

5/15/2023

2020 ELECTION: “The Durham Report spells out in great detail the Democrat Hoax that was perpetrated upon me and the American people. This is 2020 Presidential Election Fraud, just like ‘stuffing’ the ballot boxes, only more so. This totally illegal act had a huge impact on the Election. With an honest Media, we are looking at the Crime of the Century!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 15, 2023

5/16/2023

FBI/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: “John Durham was charged with leading an investigation into the origins of the probe by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into possible collusion between the 2016 campaign of former President Donald Trump and Russia.

The release of that report on Monday [May 15, 2023] signalled the end of Durham’s four-year investigation…

Most significantly, Durham’s report said that the FBI at the very least was too hasty in opening its investigation of Trump…

Both Durham and the watchdog report did not find any evidence of widespread spying on the Trump election campaign, besides surveillance of Page, one of the main allegations from Trump and his allies.”

-Al Jazeera, “Key takeaways from investigation of FBI’s Trump-Russia probe,” aljazeera.com, May 16, 2023

5/16/2023

2024 ELECTION/ABORTION/RON DESANTIS: “DeSantis, who is expected to publicly announce his [2024 election] presidential plans in the coming weeks, took a direct swing at Trump on Tuesday after the current GOP presidential front-runner suggested that Florida’s new six-week abortion ban was ‘too harsh.’

Asked about that remark, DeSantis said the legislation he signed is something that “probably 99% of pro-lifers support.

The governor noted that Trump had dodged on whether he would back that bill.”

-Kevin Breuninger, “Ron DeSantis just made it clear he’s going to fight Trump on abortion,” cnbc.com, May 16, 2023

5/16/2023

PARDONS/RUDY GIULIANI/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A new lawsuit from a woman who says she worked for Rudy Giuliani during Donald Trump’s presidency contains a series of shocking claims, chief among them sexual assault and harassment by Trump’s then-personal lawyer, which Giuliani has denied. But Noelle Dunphy’s civil complaint, filed Monday in New York state court, also contains an entirely different type of shocking claim: that Giuliani was offering to sell pardons for $2 million, which, according to Dunphy’s suit, he said he would split with Trump.

Giuliani has broadly denied Dunphy’s allegations.”

-Jordan Rubin, “Lawsuit alleges Giuliani offered to sell pardons and split money with Trump,” msnbc.com, May 16, 2023

5/17/2023

DEMS/WILLIAM BARR: “I only wish that Bill Barr, as the Attorney General of the United States, was able to act. Sadly, he was afraid of the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics, and their constant threats against him of Impeachment, and was absolutely impotent on the subject of the Durham Report, he should have taken strong action. Even more importantly, he did nothing on the massive Voter Fraud which took place during the 2020 Presidential Election. Remember, you get NOTHING from RINOS. An honor to have fired him!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 17, 2023

5/17/2023

ABORTION: “After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the ‘shock’ of everyone, and for the first time put the Pro Life movement in a strong negotiating position over the Radicals that are willing to kill babies even into their 9th month, and beyond. Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 17, 2023

5/17/2023

DOJ/FBI: “I WAS BEING FRAMED BY THE FBI AND THE DOJ. NOW IT CONTINUES WITH THE BOXES HOAX, THE ‘PERFECT’ PHONE CALL IN ATLANTA, THE MANHATTAN D.A., AND THE NEW YORK STATE A.G. SCAM. WHAT A GROUP, BUT ALL REPORT TO THE DOJ IN WASHINGTON. IT’S JAMES COMEY AND THE SLEAZEBAGS ALL OVER AGAIN. THEY ARE PLAYING ELECTION INTERFERENCE IN 2024 THROUGH ILLEGAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST REPUBLICANS, IN PARTICULAR YOUR FAVORITE PRESIDENT, ME. THESE ARE CHEATING LOWLIFES, BUT WE WILL WIN. OUR COUNTRY IS GOING TO HELL!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 17, 2023

5/18/2023

CONGRESS/FBI: “Very sad watching what took place today in Congress regarding Whistleblowers and the FBI. There has never been a time like this in our Country, the complete weaponization of Justice. I am a victim also, but the real victim is the United States of America. Congress must use its purse strings to straighten it out, before it is too late! MAGA 2024”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 18, 2023

5/19/2023

BUDGET/DEBT: “At last week’s town hall event on CNN, the former president [Donald Trump], who has said very little about his party’s debt ceiling crisis in recent months, was quite candid about his position. ‘I say to the Republicans out there — congressmen, senators — if [Democrats] don’t give you massive cuts, you’re going to have to do a default,’ Trump said, failing to note which investments he wants to eliminate.

Over the weekend, by way of his social media platform, the frontrunner for the GOP’s 2024 nomination added that his party should proceed with default ‘Unless the Republicans get EVERYTHING they are asking for in terms of Cost Cutting.'”

-Steve Benen, “As budget talks ‘pause,’ Trump pushes dangerous default scheme,” msnbc.com, May 19, 2023

5/19/2023

RON DESANTIS: “Sorry, but Ron DeSanctimonious is UNELECTABLE, and everyone knows why. I’m leading Biden by 11 Points. RAN TWICE, WON TWICE, AND DID MUCH BETTER THE SECOND TIME (ELECTION WAS RIGGED!). MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 19, 2023

5/19/2023

2024 ELECTION/DOJ/FBI: “ELECTION INTERFERENCE, THROUGH THE USE OF THE CORRUPT FBI & DOJ, IS THE 2024 PLAYBOOK FOR THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS, RINOS, AND OTHER LUNATICS AMONG US. HOPEFULLY JIM JORDAN, AND OUR MANY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL PATRIOTS, WILL STOP THEM COLD. THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY IS COUNTING ON IT. ALL HONEST FBI AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES MUST STEP FORWARD, NOW. IT IS YOUR TIME!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 19, 2023

5/21/2023

DOJ/FBI: “The FBI offered Christopher Steele One Million Dollars in order to FRAME me. Why aren’t all of the so called Special ‘Prosecutors,’ together with their bosses at the DOJ, doing something about this. Why aren’t people under arrest. They spied on my campaign, and bribed people all over the place, and then go after ME. The people of our once great Country won’t stand for it. How much more can they take, as the USA goes to HELL? MAGA!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 21, 2023

5/21/2023

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS/JOE BIDEN: “Joe Biden REFUSES to give the 1,850 Boxes in Delaware, or the 4 Boxes that were discovered in CHINATOWN, and then sent to his lawyers in Boston to clean them up. Maybe that’s why all of that money from China has gone into his pockets, but I hope not? I went by the Presidential Records Act – Things done correctly!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 21, 2023

5/22/2023

JOE BIDEN/RON DESANTIS: “I’ve won two Elections, the second far bigger than the first (it was Rigged!), my Endorsement is considered, far and away, the most powerful in political history, I’m blowing away DeSanctimonious in the Polls, and am leading Biden & Harris BIG, whereas DeSanctus is losing to BOTH. I have gotten more people Elected than any other human being. Yet I have to listen to these liddle’ lightweights like ‘Ron’ say I can’t win. Like the Dems, it’s just DISINFORMATION. The TRUTH is, they can’t win!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 22, 2023

5/23/2023

2024 ELECTION/LEGAL: “Donald Trump will face a criminal trial in New York on March 25, 2024, a judge said on Tuesday [May 23, 2023], meaning the former U.S. President will be on trial as his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination is in full swing.

Trump, who is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star, is expected to be crisscrossing the country next spring along with his rivals as states host presidential nominating contests.”

-Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld, “Trump criminal trial to start next March, with campaign in full swing,” reuters.com, May 23, 2023

5/23/2023

2024 ELECTION/LEGAL: “Just had New York County Supreme Court hearing where I believe my First Amendment Rights, ‘Freedom of Speech,’ have been violated, and they forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of Primary season. Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted. It’s called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 23, 2023

5/23/2023

MEDIA/VOTING: “So Dominion [voting machines] gets almost a Billion Dollars and I, after years of Fake News, Hoaxes, Scams, and Investigations, am entitled to NOTHING? Is that really the way it’s supposed to work? I don’t think so!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 23, 2023

5/24/2023

2024 ELECTION/RON DESANTIS/TWITTER: “No one liked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign launch more than former President Donald Trump.

‘Wow. The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER!’ Trump wrote on the Truth Social media platform. ‘His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!’ […]

As hundreds of thousands of listeners logged off, Trump allies shared images to represent their excitement: a glass of wine and a laughing-to-tears emoji among them. Trump quickly posted a video to Truth Social that showed contrasting images of his boisterous campaign announcement last year and a Twitter screen showing the DeSantis discussion ‘Preparing to launch.'”

-Jonathan Allen, “A glass of wine and a laughing-crying emoji: Trump team trolls Ron DeSantis launch,” nbcnews.com, May 24, 2023

5/24/2023

2024 ELECTION/RON DESANTIS: “I’d like to personally congratulate ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious on finally announcing that he will be entering the [2024] race for President of the United States. Hopefully he will get the full experience of being attacked by the Marxists, Communists, and Radical Left Lunatics of our Country, without which he will never know the kind of job he is doing. These Lowlifes & Misfits are far worse than the leaders of hostile foreign countries. They must be soundly defeated in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 24, 2023

5/24/2023

BORDER/CHINA/ECONOMY/ENERGY/RUSSIA/UKRAINE: “I BUILT THE GREATEST ECONOMY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, NO INFLATION, ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, AND SOON DOMINANCE, THE STRONGEST BORDER EVER, RECORD BEST EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS, BIGGEST TAX & REGULATION CUTS, REBUILT OUR MILITARY, NO WARS WITH RUSSIA/UKRAINE OR CHINA/TAIWAN (OR ANYWHERE!), AND THE USA WAS RESPECTED ALL OVER THE WORLD! WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY?”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 24, 2023

5/24/2023

2024 ELECTION/PAUL RYAN/RON DESANTIS: “Ron DeSanctus can’t win the [2024] General Election (or get the Nomination) because he VOTED TO OBLITERATE SOCIAL SECURITY, EVEN WANTING TO RAISE THE MINIMUM AGE TO 70 (or more!), VOTED TO BADLY WOUND MEDICARE, AND FOUGHT HARD AND VOTED FOR A 23% ‘TAX ON EVERYTHING’ SALES TAX. He was, and is, a disciple of horrible RINO Paul Ryan, and others too many to mention. Also, he desperately needs a personality transplant and, to the best of my knowledge, they are not medically available yet. A disloyal person!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 24, 2023

5/25/2023

2024 ELECTION/RON DESANTIS: “During his rocky Twitter rollout and Fox News interview, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t mention former President Donald Trump’s name…

But in a conference call with a number of journalists last night [May 24, 2023], the Florida governor dropped his reluctance to talk about the GOP front-runner.

‘Obviously Trump would turn out Democrats, because that’s their reflex,’ he said.

DeSantis contrasted that with his ability to win over some Democrats in his landslide re-election victory last fall.”

-Howard Kurtz, “Ron DeSantis finally takes on Donald Trump, in call with journalists,” foxnews.com, May 25, 2023

5/25/2023

SAUDI ARABIA/SPORTS: “Former president Donald Trump spoke highly of LIV Golf, as the controversial golf tour hosts this weekend’s tournament at the Trump National Golf Club – Washington, DC…

‘I think the (PGA) Tour made a major mistake by playing games. They have unlimited money, and they love it. And it’s been great publicity for Saudi Arabia,’ Trump said. ‘They’ve been great for golf. The Saudis have been fantastic for golf. And they’re going to make it a big part of, inside their country, they’re going to do some great courses.'”

-Jordan Mendoza and Tom Schad, “Donald Trump praises LIV Golf at tournament: ‘It’s been great publicity for Saudi Arabia,'” usatoday.com, May 25, 2023

5/29/2023

HOLIDAY: “HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL, BUT ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THE COUNTRY THEY LOVE, AND TO THOSE IN LINE OF A VERY DIFFERENT, BUT EQUALLY DANGEROUS FIRE, STOPPING THE THREATS OF THE TERRORISTS, MISFITS AND LUNATIC THUGS WHO ARE WORKING FEVERISHLY FROM WITHIN TO OVERTURN AND DESTROY OUR ONCE GREAT COUNTRY, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN IN GREATER PERIL THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW. WE MUST STOP THE COMMUNISTS, MARXISTS AND FASCIST ‘PIGS’ AT EVERY TURN AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 29, 2023

5/30/2023

CITIZENSHIP/IMMIGRATION: “If he secures a second presidential term, Trump said he would issue an executive order during his first day back at the White House in January 2025 instructing the federal government to deny citizenship to children with parents who are not American citizens or legal permanent residents.

Under a decades-long interpretation of the Constitution, children born on U.S. soil are automatically bestowed American citizenship, even if their parents are not themselves citizens or legally present in the country. Some immigration hardliners have long criticized the policy, saying it encourages parents to come to the U.S. illegally. While he was in the White House, Trump repeatedly floated the idea of challenging the interpretation, but never took action…

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution, adopted following the Civil War, declares that all ‘persons born or naturalized in the United States’ are ‘citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.'”

-Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “Trump vows to end birthright citizenship for children of unauthorized immigrants if he wins in 2024,” cbsnews.com, May 30, 2023

5/30/2023

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS: “A Mar-a-Lago employee who helped move boxes of documents last June has been questioned about his conduct weeks later related to a government demand for surveillance footage from Donald Trump’s property, according to a person familiar with the federal probe of the former president’s handling of classified material.

The employee’s actions in June and July have caught the attention of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigators as they try to determine whether Trump or people close to him sought to obstruct justice in the face of a grand jury subpoena to return all documents marked classified, or lied about what happened.”

-Spencer S. Hsu, Josh Dawsey and Devlin Barrett, “Mar-a-Lago prosecutors eye July episode with Trump surveillance cameras,” washingtonpost.com, May 30, 2023

5/30/2023

POLLS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Kayleigh ‘Milktoast’McEnany just gave out the wrong poll numbers on FoxNews. I am 34 points up on DeSanctimonious, not 25 up. While 25 is great, it’s not 34. She knew the number was corrected upwards by the group that did the poll. The RINOS & Globalists can have her. FoxNews should only use REAL Stars!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 30, 2023

5/30/2023

COVID-19/FLORIDA/RON DESANTIS: “Under Ron DeSanctimonious as Governor, Florida was the third WORST State in Deaths by Covid. So why do they say that DeSanctus did a good job? New York had fewer deaths! Also, he shut down the State, and even its beaches (unlike other Republican Governors).”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 30, 2023

5/31/2023

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS: “Special counsel Jack Smith has obtained a 2021 recording in which Donald Trump appears to brag about having a classified document related to Iran, suggesting the former president understood both the legal and security concerns around his possession of such restricted information, multiple people familiar with the matter said Wednesday…

Trump’s lawyers have suggested that the former president either did not know he possessed classified documents after leaving the White House or could have declassified such material while in office.”

-Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey and Carol D. Leonnig, “Prosecutors have recording of Trump discussing sensitive Iran document,” washingtonpost.com, May 31, 2023

5/31/2023

RON DESANITS: “Have you heard that ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious wants to change his name, again. He is demanding that people call him DeeeSantis, rather than DaSantis. Actually, I like ‘Da’ better, a nicer flow, so I am happy he is changing it. He gets very upset when people, including reporters, don’t pronounce it correctly. Therefore, he shouldn’t mind, DeSanctimonious?”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 31, 2023

6/1/2023

RON DESANTIS: “On Wednesday evening [May 31, 2023], as DeSantis was taking the stage for his fourth event in Iowa, Trump took aim at him on social media over the governor’s different pronunciations of his name.

‘Have you heard that ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious wants to change his name, again. He is demanding that people call him DeeeSantis, rather than DaSantis. Actually, I like ‘Da’ better, a nicer flow, so I am happy he is changing it. He gets very upset when people, including reporters, don’t pronounce it correctly. Therefore, he shouldn’t mind, DeSanctimonious?’ Trump said…

DeSantis, in New Hampshire on Thursday morning, was asked during an appearance on the news-talk radio program ‘Good Morning New Hampshire with Jack Heath’ about the jabs from Trump.

‘I think it’s so petty. I think it’s so juvenile. I don’t think that’s what voters want. And honestly I think that his conduct, which he’s been doing for years now, I think that’s one of the reasons he’s not in the White House now. Because I think he alienated too many voters for things that really don’t matter. So I don’t get in the gutter for any of that,’ DeSantis said.”

-Paul Steinhauser, “DeSantis fed up with Trump’s bizarre nickname, fuss over last name pronunciation: ‘Juvenile’,” foxnews.com, June 1, 2023

6/1/2023

LEGAL: “Donald Trump’s legal team for months has weathered deep distrust and interpersonal conflict that could undermine its defense of the former president as the criminal investigation into his handling of classified documents and obstruction of justice at Mar-a-Lago nears its conclusion.

The turmoil inside the legal team only exploded into public view when one of the top lawyers, Tim Parlatore, abruptly resigned two weeks ago from the representation citing irreconcilable differences with Trump’s senior adviser and in-house counsel Boris Epshteyn…

The infighting eventually reached the point at which some of the lawyers started to believe the biggest impediment to defending Trump might just be the distrust and interpersonal conflict, rather than someone like Parlatore deciding to cooperate with prosecutors.”

-Hugo Lowell, “Months of distrust inside Trump legal team led to top lawyer’s departure,” theguardian.com, June 1, 2023

6/1/2023

2024 ELECTION/RON DESANTIS: “Donald Trump has continued to launch wave after wave of attacks on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, posting about his 2024 GOP primary rival numerous times in just one day.

Trump wrote or reshared at least 19 Truth Social posts about DeSantis over the course of 24 hours, as the former president ramped up attempts to dismiss any suggestions the Florida Republican should lead the GOP in 2024.”

-Ewan Palmer, “Donald Trump Spends 24 Hours Relentlessly Attacking Ron DeSantis,” newsweek.com, June 1, 2023

6/1/2023

DOJ/FBI/IMPEACHMENT/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/UKRAINE: “Just like the Democrat inspired Fake Dossier, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, the ‘No Collusion’ Mueller Report, and so much else, the illegally leaked, by the DOJ, FBI, and Special ‘Prosecutor,’ Document story is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time and, like all of the others, Fake News! I did nothing wrong, they did, and have been doing so for a long time. GREAT POLL NUMBERS – ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!”

-Donald Trump, Truth Social, June 1, 2023