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House Republicans adopt rules package following Speaker fight

House Republicans on Monday adopted a rules package that will govern how the chamber operates for the next two years in a closely watched vote that came on the heels of last week’s drawn-out Speaker fight.

The vote was the first legislative battle for newly-elected Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his House Republican conference. 

The package passed mainly along party lines in a 220-213 vote. 

The terms in the package were central to closed-door negotiations last week between McCarthy allies and detractors. McCarthy had to give up a number of rules concessions to win over some of his GOP holdouts and put him over the finish line.

He ultimately won the Speakership on the 15th ballot following four days of voting.

The process left questions about whether the provisions to which McCarthy agreed would turn off moderate Republicans, and a few voiced misgivings in recent days. But ultimately Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) was the only Republican to oppose the resolution, following through on the vow he made Friday.

The most controversial provision included in the resolution is the single-member motion to vacate the chair, which allows one lawmaker to force a vote on ousting the Speaker.

The package agreed to by House Republicans in November required a majority of the Republican conference to agree to invoke the motion to vacate the chair, but McCarthy brought that down to five members on New Years Day amid urging from conservative lawmakers.

That change, however, was not enough for the right-leaning members, who demanded that the threshold was dropped to one member — where it was set for years before Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) changed the threshold to a majority of one party when she took the Speaker’s gavel in 2019.

McCarthy ultimately gave into the request, giving his conservative holdouts a significant victory. The change in threshold for the motion to vacate is the only difference between the package released by Republicans on Jan. 1, and the one that came to the floor on Monday.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), a McCarthy holdout who flipped his vote on the 14^th ballot, hailed the single-member motion to vacate during debate on the House floor.

“Of the many victories we secured for the American people, the Thomas Jefferson motion to vacate the chair is the most important to me as it holds the Speaker accountable to the people,” he said.

“By restoring this historic rule, every solitary member has the authority to hold the Speaker accountable for following all of the rules,” he added.

The rules package also reinstates the Holman Rule, which gives members the ability to propose amendments for appropriations bills that would decrease the salaries of specific federal workers, or funding for particular programs, to $1, essentially defunding them.

Democrats did away with the regulation in 2019 when they took control of the House, but Republicans are now bringing it back.

The new rules package also directs the Congressional Budget office to examine the inflationary impact legislation will have, in addition to the budgetary impact — an issue Republicans brought up repeatedly as inflation rapidly rose in 2022.

“PAYGO,” the “pay-as-you-go” rule that requires legislation that would increase mandatory spending to be offset with spending cues or revenue increases, will be replaced with “CUTGO,” a “cut-as-you-go” variation first instituted by Republicans in 2011 that requires increases to be offset with equal or greater mandatory spending decreases. Both parties frequently waived the rule to pass legislation in the past.

Additionally, the new rules package does away with proxy voting, which was instituted in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for members to vote remotely.

Some GOP uneasiness about the resolution arose from it being informally tied to agreements struck between McCarthy and those who opposed him for Speaker that were not included in the rules package itself. 

Those measures included promising a vote on a term limits bill and a commitment to put two or three hardline conservative members on the House Rules Committee, the panel that controls all legislation that goes to the floor.

Democrats also expressed concern with the informal agreements struck between McCarthy allies and his detractors. Rules Committee ranking member Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) — who called the rules package “flawed” — said he does not know what was included in the terms.

“What I’m concerned about is not just what’s written down here, I’m concerned by the backroom deals that Speaker McCarthy made with the Freedom Caucus in exchange for their votes. Like Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace said just this weekend, and I quote, ‘we don’t have any idea what promises were made,’” McGovern said. “This is unconscionable, we’re only one week into this and this is how they’re running this place.”

“Is this what the majority leader meant when he talked about a new day in transparency? These rules are not a serious attempt at governing, they’re essentially a ransom note to America from the extreme right,” he added.

Source: TEST FEED1

Classified documents found from Biden's time as VP, White House cooperating with DOJ

The White House is working with the Justice Department as it reviews classified documents from when President Biden served as vice president that were found in a private office last fall.

Attorneys for Biden discovered the documents in November and notified the National Archives, Richard Sauber, special counsel to Biden, said in a statement. The documents were found on Nov. 2, 2022, six days before the midterm elections.

The Archives were alerted the same day and took possession of the materials the following morning, Sauber said. The Archives have since referred the matter to the Justice Department for further investigation.

“The White House is cooperating with the National Archives and the Department of Justice regarding the discovery of what appear to be Obama-Biden Administration records, including a small number of documents with classified markings,” Sauber said.

The materials were first discovered at an office at the University of Pennsylvania in Washington while it was being cleaned out, Sauber said. Biden had used the office while he served as an honorary professor for the university from 2017 to 2019.

“The documents were not the subject of any previous request or inquiry by the Archives,” Sauber added. “Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives.”

The discovery of the documents was first reported by CBS News. The president and vice president are required under the Presidential Records Act to turn over documents to the National Archives for secure storage.

That classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president were not in possession of the National Archives is sure to ignite criticism from conservatives given former President Trump is under investigation for allegedly taking numerous classified government documents to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida upon leaving the White House in 2021. During an unprecedented FBI search of the property, more than 100 documents were obtained that federal officials said were marked with varying degrees of classification. 

In response to the news involving Biden, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, “When will the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team storm one of Biden’s many vacation homes bought and paid for somehow by a lifetime of being a humble public servant?” 

But one key difference was that Biden’s team quickly alerted the National Archives upon discovering the documents, while Trump was still in possession of his files until an FBI search in August.

“Worth noting what former government officials have said since Mar a Lago raid: classified docs get mistakenly removed from government facilities fairly frequently. You report it, turn in the docs, the government does a damage assessment, and that is the end of it,” tweeted Matthew Miller, a former Justice Department spokesperson during the Obama administration.

“OR…you cover it up, lie about it repeatedly to the government, and force them to raid your premises to retrieve the docs (ie act like a sociopath), in which case you can expect a criminal charge,” Miller added.

Source: TEST FEED1

McCarthy faces first test as Speaker with vote on rules package

The House is set to vote tonight on the rules that will govern the chamber for the next two years, marking the first big test for Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) ability to keep his conference together.

The vote comes just days after he won the Speakership following 15 rounds of voting that spanned four days. He was ultimately able to lock down the gavel after offering several rules concessions to appease conservative Republicans and move them from holdouts to supporters.

The rules package is now scheduled to come before the entire House chamber on Monday — the first vote on legislation in the 118th Congress. 

It will also be the first time Republicans work to pass a resolution in the narrowly-split chamber, where they can only afford to lose four votes amid Democratic opposition.

Why is the rules package taking center stage?

Hardline conservatives who forced McCarthy into a historic four-day, 15-ballot fight over the Speakership had demanded concessions on the House rules, makeup of key committees and Republican priorities.

McCarthy fulfilled several requests in a version of the rules package first released on New Year’s Day, which included items like requiring 72 hours from release of final bill text before a floor vote and streamlining a vote to create a select subcommittee on “Weaponization of the Federal Government” under the House Judiciary Committee.

But that was not good enough for hardliners and the result was McCarthy and other Republicans hammering out portions of the rules package — a document many outside the Capitol were getting their first introduction to — in front of a national audience.

One sticking point was the threshold for the motion to vacate the chair, which would force a vote on ousting the House Speaker. McCarthy last weekend had lowered that threshold to five members, down from the approval of half the GOP conference.

After multiple failed ballots and late-night negotiations, McCarthy agreed to lower the threshold to make the move to just one member. 

Are all Republicans on board?

The drawn-out Rules package fight — and side negotiations between McCarthy allies and detractors like Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.) — frustrated moderate Republicans and others close to McCarthy who did not like being out of the loop, and who were concerned about some of the deals made.

At least one Republican is now threatening to vote against the rules package, putting the fate of the bill in jeopardy because of the GOP’s narrow majority in the chamber. Republicans can only afford to lose four votes assuming all Democrats oppose the terms.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) announced on Twitter Friday night that he would not support the package. Pressed on his stance Sunday, he told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he is concerned about the new rules cutting defense spending.

The deal struck between McCarthy allies and detractors would cap fiscal year 2024 spending at levels from fiscal year 2022, prompting some to worry that the cuts could affect defense spending. Roy’s office, however, said “cuts to defense spending were NEVER DISCUSSED” in negotiations.

 “This has a proposed billions-of-dollar cut to defense, which I think is a horrible idea, when you have aggressive Russia in Ukraine, you’ve got a growing threat of China in the Pacific,” Gonzales told CBS. “I’m going to visit Taiwan here in a couple of weeks. How am I going to look at our allies in the eye and say, I need you to increase your defense budget, but yet America is going to decrease ours?”

He also said he initially was concerned that the rules package would come to the floor in the early hours of Saturday, but the vote was ultimately punted on Monday. Gonzales noted that he is not encouraging his colleagues to join him in opposition.

But his stance, nonetheless, has not been well-received within conservative circles. FreedomWorks, a conservative advocacy group, warned on Monday that Gonzales could face political backlash for his opposition to the Rules package.

“If Tony’s a ‘NO’ on the House Rules Package he should not be welcomed into the 119th Congress,” the organization wrote on Twitter.

In a subsequent tweet, FreedomWorks for America wrote “Couldn’t agree more,” adding “#TX23 deserves a Member of Congress who will put their constituents above the DC Swamp. We look forward to the 2024 election season, @TonyGonzales4TX.”

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) was also considering voting against the rules package, she told “Face the Nation” on Sunday, but ultimately decided to support the package, a source close to her office told The Hill.

The congresswoman told “Face the Nation” that she was concerned about the backroom deals struck and “gentleman’s handshakes” made during last week’s Speaker race.

What’s in the Rules Package?

The most controversial and hard-fought change, and the only one that happened after the New Year’s Day release of the package, is lowering the threshold for the motion to vacate the chair to just one member.

The rules package also brings back the Holman rule, which allows members to propose amendments to appropriations bills that cut the salaries of specific federal workers or funding for specific programs down to $1, effectively defunding them. Some Republicans have suggested using the rule to defund certain investigations and officials in the FBI and Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security or officials who were involved in COVID-19 policies. 

In a new move, Republicans will direct the Congressional Budget Office to analyze the inflationary impact of legislation in addition to the budgetary impact — an issue that Republicans repeatedly hammered amid the inflation rate hitting a four-decade high in 2022.

“PAYGO,” the “pay-as-you-go” rule that requires legislation that would increase mandatory spending to be offset with spending cues or revenue increases, will be replaced with “CUTGO,” a “cut-as-you-go” variation first instituted by Republicans in 2011 that requires increases to be offset with equal or greater mandatory spending decreases. Both parties frequently waived the rule to pass legislation in the past.

Many McCarthy concessions not in the rules package

In addition to measures in the rules package, McCarthy and his top negotiators agreed to several other measures in order to win over the group of 20 hardline Republicans to support him for Speaker.

McCarthy agreed to place two to three hardline conservative members on the House Rules Committee, which controls the structure of debate and legislation coming to the House Floor, and whether any standard rules are waived, according to a person familiar with the agreement.

There will be floor votes on a term limits bill and legislation encompassing a border security plan crafted by Texas Republicans.

McCarthy also pledged to bring up 12 regular appropriations bills individually, rather than as an omnibus as in 2022, and made commitments on an open amendment process, hardline Republicans said.

Separately, the Congressional Leadership Fund PAC that is aligned with McCarthy agreed to not spend in open safe-seat GOP primaries, addressing a request from the hardliners for leadership to stay out of GOP primaries.

Source: TEST FEED1

GOP's ‘weaponization’ panel would have power to review those probing Trump

The GOP is preparing to hammer agencies reviewing the conduct of former President Trump with a new select subcommittee poised to focus on the “weaponization” of the federal government. 

The panel is being drawn up to take aim at ongoing investigations at the Department of Justice and the FBI on Trump, including the taking of classified documents to Mar-a-Lago and the former president’s conduct leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.  

The subcommittee, included under the umbrella of the House Judiciary Committee, is expected to be helmed by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a combative ally of Trump.  

Jordan has already sent more than 100 letters to the two agencies ahead of his own expected probes — complaining the FBI has “ridiculed conservative Americans.” 

Republicans have weighed a “Church-style” investigation of the FBI since late last year, modeled after a 1970s investigation into civil liberties violations by the intelligence community. 

But language in the resolution establishing the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government would give the panel the power to oversee “ongoing criminal investigations.” 

The language, apparently added on Friday during negotiations with the Freedom Caucus as Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) worked to secure the gavel, would strengthen lawmakers as the Justice Department continues its probe of Trump for his role in the deadly riot two years earlier.

Another last-minute addition includes the ability of lawmakers on the 13-member panel to have access to the same information shared with the House Intelligence Committee, which receives some of the most closely guarded information the intelligence community shares with members of Congress. 

The panel is also set to include five Democrats in consultation with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), similar to the initial structure of the Jan. 6 committee.  

But after a year of GOP complaints about the wide-ranging authority of the Jan. 6 select committee, Republicans appear to have aimed for greater force. 

“We got more resources, more specificity, more power to go after this recalcitrant Biden administration,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who voted against McCarthy in the first 11 Speakership votes, said in an interview on Fox News.

Neither the DOJ nor the FBI responded to requests for comment about being the focus of the subcommittee.

Democrats see the new subcommittee as a landing spot for conservative propaganda. Judiciary ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) called it a “reckless partisan exercise fueled by conspiracy theories.”

“Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy claim to be investigating the weaponization of the federal government when, in fact, this new select committee is the weapon itself,” Nadler said in a statement to ABC News. 

“It is specifically designed to inject extremist politics into our justice system and shield the MAGA movement from the legal consequences of their actions.” 

The subcommittee could delve into any number of legal issues swirling around Trump. 

Special counsel Jack Smith has been appointed to oversee the investigations into the mishandling of records at Mar-a-Lago as well as Jan. 6. 

But Trump also has to contend with a Georgia probe into his efforts to pressure Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” more votes. 

State and federal authorities in New York are also investigating the Trump Organization’s business practices. Those additional probes hold the potential for criminal charges against Trump. 

The GOP has its own ongoing list of grievances, ranging from plans to investigate Hunter Biden to claims the FBI has been politicized and is unfairly targeting conservatives.

The resolution allows for the review of any White House effort to “obtain information from, and provide information to the private sector, non-profit entities, or other government agencies to facilitate action against American citizens” — likely a review of any FBI interactions with social media companies. 

Jordan’s attitude about the FBI has been made clear through his letters as well as a report he released late last year. That report was widely panned for including little new information to back claims that the FBI is inflating domestic terrorism reporting or is “clearing the Bureau of employees who dissent from its woke, leftist agenda.”  

He has also distorted a DOJ memo on threats against local school board members, saying the government plans to charge American parents as domestic terrorists.  

The memo resulted in little, however, and largely encouraged coordination, asking the FBI to convene meetings with local law enforcement in the following 30 days to discuss how to respond to threats of violence. 

It’s also not clear who the other members of the subcommittee will be, as the rules do not specify that those lawmakers must also sit on the broader House Judiciary Committee. 

That could also set up an interesting conflict of interest for some who could be appointed to the subcommittee, including those who were subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 panel. 

“Why should I be limited — why should anybody be limited — just because someone has made an accusation? Everybody in America is innocent until proven guilty,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) said on ABC’s “This Week.”  

Perry was subpoenaed by panel after it was discovered he introduced Trump to the lawyer Jeffrey Clark, whom Trump considered appointing as attorney general in order to propagate his claims of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. 

“So, should everybody in Congress that disagrees with somebody be barred from doing the oversight and investigative powers that Congress has? That’s our charge,” Perry said. 

“And again, that’s appropriate for every single member, regardless of what accusations are made. I get accused of things every single day, as does every member that serves in the public eye.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

US lawmakers condemn Jan. 6-style rioting at Brazilian government offices

A slew of US lawmakers have condemned the recent Jan. 6-style riots that happened in Brazil as far-right supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed and vandalized government buildings. 

“I’m disturbed by the violence that took place in Brasília today,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) wrote in a tweet on Sunday. “I stand with the democratically-elected government of Brazil and condemn the violence trying to undermine it.”

“Democracies of the world must act fast to make clear there will be no support for right-wing insurrectionists storming the Brazilian Congress,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who was a member of the now-defunct House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, wrote in a tweet. “These fascists modeling themselves after Trump’s Jan. 6 rioters must end up in the same place: prison.”

In a tweet, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote that the U.S. “must stand in solidarity” with Brazil’s newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his government, adding that the U.S. “must cease granting refuge to Bolsonaro,” who is currently in Florida. 

“Nearly 2 years to the day the US Capitol was attacked by fascists, we see fascist movements abroad attempt to do the same in Brazil,” Ocasio-Cortez said in her tweet. 

“When Americans show contempt for democracy, the contempt spreads,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote on Sunday. “Those who are trying overthrow the legitimately elected government in Brazil should be held accountable just like the traitors were here. America stands with @LulaOficial and the rule of law in Brazil.”

In a tweet, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) called on the Biden administration and local authorities in Florida to extradite Bolsonaro back to Brazil amid the chaos. According to The New York Times, Bolsonaro, 67, flew to Florida late last month as he is facing multiple investigations stemming from his time in office. 

“I stand with @LulaOficial and Brazil’s democratically elected government,” Castro wrote in his tweet. “Domestic terrorists and fascists cannot be allowed to use Trump’s playbook to undermine democracy.”

The lawmakers’ response come as thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed into Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace on Sunday in protest of the results of the presidential election that saw Bolsonaro lose his bid for another term.

The protest immediately drew comparisons to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, in which pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop lawmakers from certifying President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. 

Biden publicly condemned the protests in Brazil, saying the U.S. will continue to work with Lula and the current Brazilian government in an effort to have the U.S. fully support the country’s democratic institutions. 

“Today’s attacks are exactly why I pushed for the Senate to pass a resolution backing free and fair elections in Brazil,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote in a tweet. “This is about whether Brazil is a democracy or not. We stand with the country’s democratically elected government and condemn this authoritarian violence.”

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These Republicans were selected to chair House committees after Speaker battle delay

After a historic and prolonged battle over the Speakership, House Republicans on Monday moved to wrap up some unfinished organizing business that was put on hold due to opposition to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — including picking who will lead key panels.

The House GOP Steering Committee, a panel of around 30 lawmakers consisting of leadership and elected regional representatives that makes selections for most chairmanships and committee assignments, made its choices for chairs of panels that were uncontested in December.

But it put its selections for four key contested chairmanships on hold as a group of hard-line conservatives expressed opposition to McCarthy that threatened to tank his Speaker bid. 

House Republicans typically choose their ranking members or committee chairs weeks before the new Congress to allow time for the incoming leaders to hire staff and get organized. 

McCarthy gets outsize influence over the Steering panel with four votes, while Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) gets two and all other members get one.

Over the weekend, McCarthy also selected Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who voted against McCarthy on most of the 15 Speaker ballots last week, to fill the “Speaker Designee” slot on the Steering Committee.

Here’s who the Steering Committee picked for contested chairmanships:

Homeland Security: Rep. Mark Green (Tenn.)

Green beat out Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Texas) to fill a vacancy created by former Rep. John Katko (N.Y.) retiring from Congress.

Green told reporters that he plans to have two full-time committee staffers working from the U.S.-Mexico border.

The staffers will ”be sitting there with [Customs and Border Protection],” Green said, “sending us real time updates on what CBP needs and the issues – whether it’s a big drug bust at the border, we’ll send a bunch of members down for, you know, for that and those kinds of things.”

The Homeland Security panel will have a major role in oversight and policy relating to the migration surge at the border, and plans to bring Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in to testify. 

Green said that his focus will be not only on the physical border, but on cybersecurity and inter-agency responsibilities in the cyber space.

Green is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, and his selection to lead the panel is a win for the hard-line conservative group that was pressing for more conservative representation in committee chairmanships and on key panels.

Green praised his competitor Crenshaw as one of his “best friends in Congress,” and said beating him for the gavel was “not easy.”

Developing.

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Rogers says he regrets losing temper with Gaetz

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said he regrets losing his temper with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on the House floor Friday night during a tense moment amid the drawn-out Speaker fight.

“.@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue. I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding,” Rogers wrote on Twitter Sunday.

The episode occurred shortly after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) lost the 14th ballot for Speaker because of opposition from six Republicans. Four members of the group voted for another candidate, and Gaetz and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) voted “no,” putting McCarthy one vote short of the Speaker’s gavel.

Gaetz missed his initial opportunity to vote in the roll, forcing the clerk to circle back to him at the end. He was the last member to vote in that round, and his decision determined whether or not McCarthy would win the gavel.

After Gaetz cast his present vote, McCarthy walked to his colleague from Florida and the two engaged in intense conversation. After roughly a minute and a half of discussion, McCarthy walked away and Rogers approached Gaetz.

Video captured by C-SPAN shows Rogers confronting Gaetz. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) then came behind Rogers and held him back, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on his mouth.

The episode became one of the most stunning moments from the four-day Speaker race, which stretched 15 ballots before McCarthy finally secured the gavel.

Gaetz on Sunday said he forgave Rogers for the tense moment and had no concerns about working together in the future. Rogers is slated to become the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, which Gaetz is a member of.

“Of course in a late-night moment of high drama people can have moments of frustration. But Mike Rogers and I have a six-year productive working relationship, we’re gonna work together wonderfully going forward, and I don’t think there should be any punishment or reprisal just because he had an animated moment,” Gaetz said on Fox News.

“He has my forgiveness and certainly is someone who has done great things for our national defense and will continue to do those great things,” Gaetz added.

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Georgia's Fulton County grand jury completes investigation into Trump

The Fulton County special grand jury investigating former President Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results has submitted its final report.

In court filings submitted Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said the grand jury had filed its final report and he ordered the grand jury dissolved, almost one year after District Attorney Fani Willis (D) first put in a request for assistance in her investigation.

A hearing is slated for Jan. 24 to decide whether the report should be made public.

“The Court thanks the grand jurors for their dedication, professionalism, and significant commitment of time and attention to this important matter. It was no small sacrifice to serve,” McBurney wrote in the brief filing. 

Willis launched a probe in early 2021 regarding whether Trump and his allies tried to interfere in the state’s election results in light of audio released by The Washington Post in which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to “find” more than 11,000 votes needed to change President Biden’s win in the state.

Those subpoenaed in the probe included Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), among others. 

The news of the grand jury wrapping up its work comes as Trump has been embroiled in several other probes, including a Justice Department investigation and New York Attorney General Letitia James’s (D) investigation into Trump and his business dealings.

Updated: 11:59 a.m.

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Trump calls for primary challengers to McConnell, GOP senators who vote with him

Former President Trump on Monday urged Republicans to stake out primary challenges against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other GOP senators who vote with the leader. 

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump congratulated House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for winning a long, contentious Speakership vote before telling his followers that Republicans had to “stop” McConnell. The former president also parroted racist comments that he had previously directed toward McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

“It’s as though he just doesn’t care anymore, he pushes through anything the Democrats want. The $1.7 TRILLION quickly approved Bill of the week before was HORRIBLE,” Trump wrote in reference to the government spending bill passed last month. “Zero for USA Border Security. If he waited just ten days, the now ‘United Republican Congress’ could have made it MUCH BETTER, or KILLED IT.” 

“Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him. PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!”

McConnell drew ire from the former president in February 2021 after he criticized Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. That prompted Trump to call for a primary challenge to McConnell, and the relationship between the two men has continued to remain frosty.

But Trump’s comments come at a time when Republicans have grown more comfortable criticizing the former president and voicing calls for new GOP presidential nominees after many of Trump’s endorsees in the November midterms struggled in the general election. 

Source: TEST FEED1