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      More classified documents reportedly found on Trump property – as it happened

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      Attorneys for Donald Trump discovered two classified items among materials retrieved from a Florida storage unit rented for the former president, the Washington Post reports.Trump hired an outside firm to search his properties for any classified items, in order to comply with a federal grand jury subpoena issued in May. The former president is under investigation for unlawfully retaining secret material after leaving the White House last year, which led to the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago property in August.Besides the storage unit in West Palm Beach, Florida housing materials that had been moved from a northern Virginia office after his presidency, the outside firm also searched Trump-owned golf course in New Jersey and Trump Tower in New York.Here’s more from the Post’s report:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The ultimate significance of the classified material in the storage unit is not immediately clear, but its presence there indicates Mar-a-Lago was not the only place where Trump kept classified material. It also provides further evidence that Trump and his team did not fully comply with a May grand jury subpoena that sought all documents marked classified still in possession of the post-presidential office.
      In addition to the storage unit, the team hired an outside firm to carry out the search of his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., and, more recently, Trump Tower in New York, according to people familiar with the matter. The outside team also searched at least one other property.
      The team also offered the FBI the opportunity to observe the search, but the offer was declined, the people said. It would be unusual for federal agents to monitor a search of someone’s property conducted by anyone other than another law enforcement agency.
      Trump’s lawyers have told the Justice Department that the outside team did not turn up any new classified information during their search of Bedminster and Trump Tower, according to people familiar with the process, and have said they utilized a firm that had expertise in searching for documents.Classified material keeps turning up at Donald Trump’s properties, as the former president faces heat from a federal investigation into whether he unlawfully held on to government secrets after leaving the White House. Meanwhile, Democrats were relishing Raphael Warnock’s victory in Georgia’s Senate race, capping a historic midterm election in which they stemmed their losses in the House and managed to get all of their senators re-elected.Here’s a look back at what happened today:
      The Congressional Black Caucus wants lawmakers to pass a long-stalled voting rights measure before the end of the year as Democrats try to make the most of their finals weeks controlling the House and Senate.
      Sean Spicer, a former press secretary in Trump’s White House, is being roasted for mistaking today for the anniversary of D-day – when it is, in fact, the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
      The supreme court sounds skeptical of making a ruling in favor of Republican-backed state legislatures that could have a major impact on voting rights.
      Second gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke out forcefully against antisemitism, warning of “an epidemic of hate facing our country”.
      Republicans were playing the blame game after their poor midterm showing.
      But what does Raphael Warnock think of the Trump question?CNN caught up with the newly re-elected Democratic senator to ask him whether he thought the former president made a difference in his race. Here’s what he had to say:Asked how much he benefited from Trump’s involvement in selecting his foe, Raphael Warnock told me: “I think the people of Georgia deserve a great deal of credit for seeing the differences between me and my opponent. I look forward to working on their behalf the next six years.”— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 7, 2022
      In a speech today, second gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke out against antisemitism, warning that there’s “an epidemic of hate facing our country”:.@SecondGentleman: “There’s no both-sides-ism on this one. There’s only one side…ALL OF US must be against antisemitism.” pic.twitter.com/V9SKEOiS53— Herbie Ziskend (@HerbieZiskend46) December 7, 2022
      Emhoff is the husband of Kamala Harris and the first Jewish spouse of a vice president. His speech came after Donald Trump sparked outrage by meeting with Nick Fuentes, a noted antisemite.Well this is awkward.The below video is of Indiana’s Republican senator Mike Braun decrying the quality of the party’s candidates in the midterms. Behind him stands Rick Scott, another senator who is chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee – which was tasked with retaking control of the chamber. He did not succeed:Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) blasts Republican strategy after Herschel Walker’s loss, with NRSC Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) standing right behind him:“Candidate quality does count … We are basically for nothing … and then say, ‘Well, maybe we’ll tell you after we’re elected.’” pic.twitter.com/pZ04zE3e4W— The Recount (@therecount) December 7, 2022
      The Congressional Black Caucus’ last-minute push to get voting rights legislation passed may already be making waves.The lawmakers want the long-delayed bill attached to a year-end Pentagon funding proposal, and the House was this afternoon expected to vote on the rules for debate of the legislation. That vote has now been postponed:The House is in recess subject to the call of the Chair.— House Press Gallery (@HouseDailyPress) December 7, 2022
      “Members are advised that further information will be provided later today,” the office of Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer said.In other Mar-a-Lago shenanigans, ABC News reports that Liz Crokin, a well-known promoter of the QAnon and “pizzagate” conspiracy theories, turned up at an event at Donald Trump’s south Florida property.Crokin was there to attend a documentary on sex trafficking, which ABC says is a major subject of concern for QAnon adherents. She managed to snag a photo with the former president, who is under fire for his recent dinner with rapper Ye and far-right activist Nick Fuentes, both of whom have made antisemitic remarks.Here’s more from ABC’s report:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Videos and photos posted to social media appear to show Liz Crokin, a prominent promoter of QAnon and pro-Trump conspiracies theories, speaking at an event at Mar-a-Lago and later posing for photos with Trump. In one photo, the duo make a “thumbs up” sign together.
      According to social media posts, the event was billed as a fundraiser in support of a “documentary” on sex trafficking — one of the pillars of the QAnon conspiracy theory. The website for the film, which includes multiple falsehoods and claims of mass sex-trafficking in Hollywood, boasts that it is “Banned by YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and PayPal.”
      Mar-a-Lago often hosts events for outside groups.
      “You are incredible people, you are doing unbelievable work, and we just appreciate you being here and we hope you’re going to be back,” Trump said in remarks to the crowd, according to a video of his speech.
      A representative for the Trump campaign did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.With Congress in the midst of a flurry of bill-passing before the year ends and newly elected lawmakers take their seats, Punchbowl News reports that the Congressional Black Caucus is making a last-ditch attempt to get a major voting rights bill passed.The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act has been stalled since its August 2021 passaged in the House, after it failed to get enough support to make it through the Senate. Punchbowl reports that the caucus representing African-American lawmakers in both chambers wants the legislation attached to the annual defense spending bill, which is considered a priority for both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.A key test of whether their strategy will go anywhere may come this afternoon, when the House is set to vote on the rules for debate of the spending bill, according to Punchbowl.CNN has been going around the Capitol, polling Republicans senators on whether they think Donald Trump is to blame for their candidates’ weak showing during the midterms.While not an out-and-out break with the most recent White House occupant from their party, several acknowledged that Trump wasn’t much help in last month’s election. Here’s John Thune, the number-two Senate Republican:Thune added: “The Dems were in many cases able to turn it into a choice election because of Trump’s presence out there – so was he a factor? I don’t think there’s any question about that.”— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 7, 2022
      Pat Toomey is the retiring senator from Pennsylvania, who is being replaced by Democrat John Fetterman in a major loss for the GOP:Pat Toomey: “It’s just one more data point in an overwhelming body of data that the Trump obsession is very bad for Republicans but normal Republicans are doing extremely well”Graham to me: “I think we’re losing close elections, not because of Donald Trump,” citing D fundraising— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 7, 2022
      Lindsey Graham is one of Trump’s biggest allies in Congress’s upper chamber. Here’s what he had to say:Lindsey Graham to me on Trump: “I think what he’s gonna have to do is establish to Republicans he can win in 2024. He’s still very popular in the party. People appreciate his presidency. They appreciate his fighting spirit. But there’s beginning to be a sense, ‘Can he win?’”— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 7, 2022
      Attorneys for Donald Trump discovered two classified items among materials retrieved from a Florida storage unit rented for the former president, the Washington Post reports.Trump hired an outside firm to search his properties for any classified items, in order to comply with a federal grand jury subpoena issued in May. The former president is under investigation for unlawfully retaining secret material after leaving the White House last year, which led to the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago property in August.Besides the storage unit in West Palm Beach, Florida housing materials that had been moved from a northern Virginia office after his presidency, the outside firm also searched Trump-owned golf course in New Jersey and Trump Tower in New York.Here’s more from the Post’s report:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The ultimate significance of the classified material in the storage unit is not immediately clear, but its presence there indicates Mar-a-Lago was not the only place where Trump kept classified material. It also provides further evidence that Trump and his team did not fully comply with a May grand jury subpoena that sought all documents marked classified still in possession of the post-presidential office.
      In addition to the storage unit, the team hired an outside firm to carry out the search of his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., and, more recently, Trump Tower in New York, according to people familiar with the matter. The outside team also searched at least one other property.
      The team also offered the FBI the opportunity to observe the search, but the offer was declined, the people said. It would be unusual for federal agents to monitor a search of someone’s property conducted by anyone other than another law enforcement agency.
      Trump’s lawyers have told the Justice Department that the outside team did not turn up any new classified information during their search of Bedminster and Trump Tower, according to people familiar with the process, and have said they utilized a firm that had expertise in searching for documents.Democrats are relishing Raphael Warnock’s victory in Georgia’s Senate race, which caps a historic midterm election where they stemmed their losses in the House and managed to get all of their senators re-elected. The GOP’s underwhelming showing has several Republicans pointing their fingers at Donald Trump, saying candidates he’d handpicked for the election underperformed.Here’s a look back at what has happened so far today:
      Trump has hired an outside firm to look for classified documents at two of his properties to comply with a grand jury subpoena, the Washington Post reports.
      Sean Spicer, a former press secretary in Trump’s White House, is being roasted for mistaking today for the anniversary of D-day – when it is in fact the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
      The supreme court sounds skeptical of making a ruling in favor of Republican-backed state legislatures that could have a major impact on voting rights.
      The White House has announced that Joe Biden will speak this evening, at St Mark’s Episcopal Church in Washington, host to the 10th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.A White House update says the vigil is “a service of mourning and loving remembrance for all who have fallen victim to the ongoing epidemic of gun violence in America”. The 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, in which 20 young children and six adults were killed, falls a week from today.Biden, as vice-president, saw attempts for meaningful gun reform fail, even after that massacre in Connecticut. But Chris Murphy, the Democratic senator from the north-eastern state, has campaigned for reform ever since.He is now optimistic that more will soon be done. Last week, he told the Guardian: “Ten years ago, it would have been unthinkable for a gun safety bill to pass the Senate with NRA opposition. Now, a whole bunch of Republican senators know that the NRA does not even represent gun owners any longer. And thus, they’re not paying as much attention.”More:Senator Chris Murphy: ‘victory after victory’ is coming for US gun safetyRead moreFrom Washington, the Associated Press reports that “at least six supreme court justices sound skeptical of making a broad ruling that would leave state legislatures virtually unchecked when making rules for elections for Congress and the presidency”.Here’s more on the case in hand, also from the AP:US supreme court hears case that could radically reshape electionsRead moreSean Spicer, Donald Trump’s first White House press secretary and a Harvard politics fellow, has come under fire for a tweet in which he said today, 7 December, was D-Day.Spicer wrote: “Today is Dday [sic]. It only lives in infamy if we remember and share the story of sacrifice with the next generation. #DDay.”7 December is indeed an important second world war anniversary – that of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which brought the US into the war. It has been called many things, including, most famously and lastingly and by the then president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “a date which will live in infamy”.But not D-Day. That was 6 June 1944, when allied navies sent forces ashore in France, at the start of the end of the war against Nazi Germany.Pearl Harbor was primarily an attack on the US navy. According to US government figures, 2,008 members of the navy were killed, along with 218 members of the army, 109 marines and 68 civilians. Three US ships were destroyed and 16 damaged.According to his own website, Spicer “holds a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the US Naval War College [and] has served over 20 years in the US Navy Reserve and is currently a commander”. He specialises in public affairs.Amid a minor PR nightmare and Twitter storm, Spicer deleted his D-Day tweet and said: “Sorry. Apologies.”Undeleted, a tweet from 2021 in which Spicer showed he knew when D-Day was and was happy to use that knowledge to attack Joe Biden, writing: “Yesterday was the anniversary of #DDay – no mention of it from the president. The White House press secretary says he might get around to it.”Biden was widely attacked from the right for not formally marking D-Day last year. But as the fact-checking website Snopes put it: “While neither Biden himself nor the White House, as such, publicly commemorated the 77th anniversary of D-Day in 2021, Vice-President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden both did.”Furthermore, “in his speech at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, 31 May, Biden briefly alluded to the D-Day landings, saying: ‘Here in Arlington lie heroes who gave what President Lincoln called ‘the last full measure of devotion’. They did not only die at Gettysburg or in Flanders Field or on the beaches of Normandy, but in the mountains of Afghanistan, the deserts of Iraq in the last 20 years.’” More

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      Republicans reflect and blame after Trump-backed candidate Walker loses

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      Republicans reflect and blame after Trump-backed candidate Walker losesHerschel Walker’s failure to win Georgia runoff is latest in long list of midterm misfires for extremist candidates endorsed by Trump Deflated Republicans were embarking on a period of introspection and blame on Wednesday after Herschel Walker, Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate, fell well short in his effort to capture Georgia’s Senate seat.Raphael Warnock wins Georgia runoff, bolstering Democratic Senate majorityRead moreWalker’s failure in the runoff against the incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock was the most recent of a long list of misfires in the midterm elections for extremist candidates endorsed by the former president, who announced his latest run for the White House last month.It secured Democrats a 51-49 majority in the Senate, leaving Republicans powerless to block key elements of Joe Biden’s agenda, especially judicial appointments, for at least two years.Hours after Walker delivered his concession speech in Atlanta on Tuesday night, an increasing number of prominent party members were suggesting they were ready to look for a future unshackled by Trump and his lie that his 2020 election defeat to Biden was fraudulent.John Bolton, national security adviser during Trump’s single term in office, was forthright in a tweet urging Republican colleagues to cast him aside.“The outcome in Georgia is due primarily to Trump, who cast a long shadow over this race,” he wrote.“His meddling and insistence that the 2020 election was stolen will deliver more losses. Trump remains a huge liability and the Democrats’ best asset. It’s time to disavow him and move on.”John Thune, a South Dakota Republican and Senate minority whip, also blamed his party’s flops on the Trump factor.“Was he a factor? I don’t think there’s any question about that, because a lot of the candidates that had problems in these elections were running on the 2020 election being stolen, and I don’t think independent voters were having it.”Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican seen as a close ally of the former president, did not refer to Trump directly in his own analysis, but saw blame for his party’s lackluster midterms performance in poor-quality candidates, such as Walker, focusing on Trump’s big lie.“Democrats have done a pretty good job of picking issues that motivate their base and that have wider support among the public,” Graham told Politico.“We need to be doing the same thing. I think a lot of people in the Republican party don’t see us doing it as emphatically as Democrats.”Other election-denying, Trump-backed candidates who were defeated included Kari Lake, who was seeking the governorship of Arizona; Blake Masters, who lost his race for that state’s Senate seat; and Mehmet Oz, the celebrity television doctor and conspiracy theorist who was beaten by senator-elect John Fetterman in Pennsylvania as Democrats flipped the previously Republican-held seat.The Lincoln Project, a political action committee consisting largely of disgruntled Republicans, gleefully tweeted a video clip from the rightwing Fox News network, captioned “And the runner-up is …”, showcasing 25 Trump-endorsed losers from various midterm races.Trump himself remained defiant, posting on his own Truth Social network, in all capitals, that “Our country is in big trouble. What a mess!” and without accepting any responsibility for Walker’s defeat.The question now is whether the Republican party, which has remained fiercely loyal despite his two impeachments, the 2020 election defeat and their failure to recapture control of Congress, still sees Trump as the undisputed party leader and the man to lead them into the 2024 presidential race. Many members are proposing to switch allegiance from a man mired in legal problems over the January 6 Capitol riot, his mishandling of classified documents post-presidency and efforts in Georgia to overturn Biden’s victory, to someone more appealing and without that baggage, such as Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis.Trump’s toxicity at the ballot box, especially among suburban voters, provoked grumbling even before last weekend, when Trump was condemned for hosting dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with the antisemitic rapper Kanye West and the white supremacist Nick Fuentes.Several Republicans, including the usually loyal Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, also spoke out this week when Trump demanded the “termination” of the constitution to accommodate his election lies.Mick Mulvaney, White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, pointed to the party’s mixed performance in Georgia, where the Republican governor, Brian Kemp, and senior officials were re-elected comfortably in the generally reliably red state. Trump lost Georgia to Biden in 2020, and watched Democrats take both Senate seats from Republicans he endorsed.“Trump has now lost four races in Georgia in two years. One of his own and three by proxy. Similar stories in [Arizona and Pennsylvania],” Mulvaney tweeted.“He has a swing-state problem for 2024 that is real. Again: those who win primaries, and lose general elections, are still losers.”TopicsGeorgiaUS midterm elections 2022US politicsRepublicansDemocratsnewsReuse this content More

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      'No excuses': Republican Herschel Walker concedes defeat in Georgia Senate race – video

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      Republican Herschel Walker conceded defeat in his Georgia runoff for a Senate seat against Raphael Warnock on Tuesday. Walker said: ‘There’s no excuses in life. And I’m not going to make any excuses now because we put up one heck of a fight. That’s what we got to do.’ 
      Walker told his supporters at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta to continue to ‘believe in America and its elected officials, thanking them for their prayers and efforts. ‘I said, ‘you guys, I’ve done a lot of stuff. You talk about Heisman Trophy, talk about all the athletic award, business awards I’ve won. But the best thing I’ve ever done in my whole entire life is run for this Senate seat right here”

      Raphael Warnock wins Georgia runoff, bolstering Democratic Senate majority 
      Raphael Warnock wins crucial Georgia runoff election – as it happened More

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      Raphael Warnock wins Georgia runoff, bolstering Democratic Senate majority

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      Raphael Warnock wins Georgia runoff, bolstering Democratic Senate majorityIncumbent Democrat fends off challenge from Republican Herschel Walker to gain party’s 51st seat01:29The Democratic incumbent, Raphael Warnock, won the Georgia Senate runoff on Tuesday, securing his first full term and delivering a 51st seat to bolster his party’s majority in the chamber.The Associated Press called the race about three and a half hours after polls closed in Georgia, as Warnock led the Republican candidate, Herschel Walker, by approximately 40,000 votes.Shortly after that, Warnock took the stage at his campaign’s victory party to thank his supporters. A pastor at the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr once preached, Warnock has held one of Georgia’s two Senate seats since winning a special election in 2021. As he began his remarks in Atlanta, supporters chanted: “Six more years!”Raphael Warnock wins Georgia runoff, bolstering Democratic Senate majorityRead moreWarnock told the crowd: “After a hard-fought campaign – or should I say campaigns – it is my honor to utter the four most powerful words ever spoken in a democracy: the people have spoken.”One of 12 children born to a father who was also a pastor and a mother who once picked cotton, Warnock reflected on the unlikelihood of his path to the Senate. His mother was with him at his victory party, after she had the opportunity to again cast a ballot for her son.“I am Georgia,” Warnock said. “I am an example and an iteration of its history, of its pain and its promise, of the brutality and the possibility. But because this is America, because we always have a path to make our country greater against unspeakable odds, here we stand together. Thank you, Georgia.”Joe Biden called Warnock to congratulate him, describing his victory as a defeat of Republican extremism and Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” philosophy.Warnock’s win in Georgia is a bad omen for Trump – but there’s no room for complacencyRead more“Tonight Georgia voters stood up for our democracy, rejected Ultra MAGAism, and most importantly: sent a good man back to the Senate,” the president said on Twitter.Walker conceded, acknowledging that his campaign had fallen short and expressing gratitude to his team. The Republican explicitly thanked election officials who ensured the runoff was managed effectively, quelling concerns he might refuse to accept the result.“I don’t want any of you to stop believing in America,” Walker told supporters. “I want you to believe in America and continue to believe in the constitution and believe in our elected officials … Always, always cast your vote no matter whatever is happening.”Walker’s loss came a month after the national midterm elections, when neither he or Warnock secured enough support to win outright, thus requiring the runoff. The runoff was just the latest in a series of very close races in Georgia, reflecting the state’s relatively new status as a toss-up after decades of being considered safely Republican.Nearly 2 million Georgians cast ballots before election day, and those early voters appeared to significantly favor Warnock. Republicans were counting on a strong election day turnout, but Walker’s support on Tuesday was not enough to get him across the line.01:14The race had been upended several times by controversy surrounding Walker, a former University of Georgia and NFL football player who won the Republican primary after receiving Trump’s endorsement.Multiple women previously in relationships with Walker accused him of pressuring them to have abortions, despite his staunch anti-abortion views. In the final weeks of the runoff, Walker also faced questions over reports that he received a tax break intended for primary residences on his home in Texas.Walker’s defeat will likely intensify questions over Trump’s standing in the Republican party. Overall, Trump-endorsed candidates fared poorly in this election season, prompting questions from some of the former president’s critics over whether he has pushed his party to an unpopular extreme.Walker’s failure will be particularly worrisome for Trump given that Republicans swept other top statewide races in Georgia. Two of those candidates, the incumbent governor, Brian Kemp, and secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, attracted Trump’s ire for pushing back against his efforts to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory, the first time a Democrat took Georgia since 1992.Before the result was called, the former Republican congressman Will Hurd said on Twitter: “If Walker loses tonight, it will be the sixth time in a row a Democrat beat Trump or a Trump-endorsed statewide candidate in Georgia. It’s time to move on, build the future with conservative principles, and get rid of the crazy bullshit.”Some rightwing leaders suggested the runoff result raised questions about Trump’s hopes of recapturing the White House, after he announced a third consecutive presidential bid last month.“Conservatives across the country are tired of losing,” Bob Vander Plaats, president of the group the Family Leader, said on Twitter. “#2024 is key to winning the future again. #ChooseWell.”The runoff did not determine control of the Senate, as Democrats had already won enough seats to maintain their hold for two years.But Warnock’s victory does give Democrats a crucial 51st seat, allowing them to abandon their current power-sharing agreement with Republicans. A 51-seat majority will also provide some wiggle room when it comes to close committee votes and nomination fights. That new dynamic could make the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, less reliant on centrists like Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to pass legislation and confirm nominees.The 51-seat majority could also help Democrats offer a counterweight to investigations expected to be launched by House Republicans, who took the majority in the lower chamber after the midterms last month. Now that they have a clear majority in the Senate, Democrats will be able to issue subpoenas without Republican support.“51!” Schumer said in a joyous tweet. He later added: “Senator Warnock’s well-earned victory is a victory for Georgia, and a victory for democracy and against MAGA Republican extremist policies.”TopicsUS politicsGeorgiaUS midterm elections 2022US SenateDemocratsRepublicansUS CongressnewsReuse this content More

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      Warnock’s win in Georgia is a bad omen for Trump – but there’s no room for complacency

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      AnalysisWarnock’s win in Georgia is a bad omen for Trump – but there’s no room for complacencyDavid Smith Washington bureau chiefWalker’s Senate runoff loss might be viewed as the last nail in Trump’s political coffin, but 2024 will reveal the rebirth or the death of Trumpism Sanity strikes again.Raphael Warnock’s victory over Herschel Walker in the Georgia Senate runoff caps an election season in which the normal, the sensible and the fans of fact regained their voice and gave hope that, after long years in which American democracy was feared to be at death’s door, the patient is rallying.Georgia runoff election: Raphael Warnock wins crucial Senate race – follow liveRead moreIn simple mathematics, the win gives Democrats 51 seats to Republicans’ 49 in the Senate, speeding up confirmation of Joe Biden’s administrative and judicial nominees and starving the conservative West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin of some of the oxygen he enjoys as the swing vote.But more philosophically, it serves as another corrective to the notion that all America suddenly went mad on 8 November 2016, the day Donald Trump was elected instead of Hillary Clinton. Looking back, it’s pertinent to recall that Trump lost the popular vote by nearly three million and benefited from a unique cocktail of circumstances that included entrenched misogyny and running against the ultimate establishment politician.Since then, election after election has demonstrated that Trump’s brand was never what the majority of Americans wanted. Admittedly he improved his vote total in 2020, but he still lost to Joe Biden by seven million. The rout of Trump-endorsed election deniers in last month’s midterms has made even some Republicans understand that the man who despises “losers” is the biggest loser of all.In a normal political universe, then, Walker’s defeat on Tuesday would be the final nail in Trump’s political coffin. The former American football star was the ultimate Trumpian candidate: a political neophyte famous for something entirely unrelated to politics; braggadocious claims of business acumen; scandals over abusive behaviour towards women and hypocrisy over abortion; weird and wild statements on random topics.Visiting Georgia while Biden and Trump stayed away, Barack Obama observed: “Since the last time I was here, Mr Walker has been talking about issues that are of great importance to the people of Georgia. Like whether it’s better to be a vampire or a werewolf. This is a debate that I must confess I once had myself. When I was seven. Then I grew up.”In the Trump era it has become a commonplace that “nothing matters”. Tuesday’s result suggests that some things do matter after all. In particular, candidate quality still matters.This explains why, even though Republicans won every statewide election in Georgia last month, Biden beat Trump here in 2020 and Democrats won both Senate seats in 2021 thanks to Warnock and Jon Ossoff. (When primaries are thrown in, Warnock has now won six elections in just two years.)Raphael Warnock wins Georgia runoff, bolstering Democratic Senate majorityRead moreCandidate quality is a two-way street. Walker did not just lose the election. Warnock won it, outworking and outraising his opponent, touting his work on issues such as maternal mortality, highlighting his record in helping propel Biden’s legislative agenda through the Senate and deftly choosing when to ignore Walker and when to put the boot in.At a rally at a church in Gainesville on Sunday, Warnock asked: “How do you tell your children to tell the truth – and vote for Herschel Walker, who won’t tell you the truth about the basic facts of his life? I’m in church, so that’s all I’m going to say about that.”Warnock, 53, the first Black senator from Georgia, has now secured a full six-year term and a place among the Democrats’ rising stars. Every candidate needs a story and he has one, telling how his octogenarian mother used her “hands that once picked somebody else’s cotton” to “cast a ballot for her youngest son to be a United States senator”, adding: “Only in America is my story possible.”He is also a powerful orator, a skill honed as senior minister of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist church, where Martin Luther King Jr used to preach, and joins faith-driven liberals such as Pete Buttigieg and the Rev William Barber in challenging the Christian right’s dominance of the moral agenda. Warnock is fond of saying: “I’m not a senator that used to be a pastor. I’m a pastor who happens to serve in the Senate.”Even so, after Thursday it is still a case, as EM Forster put it, of two cheers for democracy rather than three. Trump arguably remains the favourite for the Republican nomination in 2024. His party has just regained a majority in the House of Representatives and is teeing up partisan investigations aplenty. In more ordinary times, it would have seemed unthinkable that a candidate such as Walker could come anywhere close to a runoff in the first place.Which means there is no room for complacency and everything to play for. The next election could spell the rebirth or the death of Trumpism. And nowhere will do more to tip the scales towards hope or despair than Georgia.TopicsGeorgiaUS politicsDemocratsRepublicansDonald TrumpanalysisReuse this content More

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      Trump Organization found guilty of tax fraud – live

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      A jury in New York has convicted the Trump Organization of criminal tax fraud in a major blow for the former president.Although Donald Trump was not personally on trial, prosecutors insisted he was fully aware of the 15-year scheme in which they said executives were enriched by off-the-books perks to make up for lower salaries, reducing the company’s tax liabilities.The 12-person jury in New York’s state court was sent out to deliberate on Monday morning after a six-week trial in which Trump Organization lawyers pinned blame for the fraud solely on the greed of longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg.The former close ally of Trump accepted a plea deal earlier this year admitting fraud in exchange for a five-month prison sentence. Prosecutors laid out a case heavily reliant on Weisselberg’s testimony.The criminal case against the Trump Organization was started by previous Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance and continued by his successor, Alvin Bragg. Bragg said in a statement today:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}In Manhattan, no corporation is above the law. For 13 years the Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Corporation got away with a scheme that awarded high-level executives with lavish perks and compensation while intentionally concealing the benefits from the taxing authorities to avoid paying taxes.
      Today’s verdict holds these Trump companies accountable for their long-running criminal scheme, in addition to Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, who has pled guilty, testified at trial and will now be sentenced to serve time in jail.”“This was a case about greed and cheating.”Manhattan DA reacts to the Trump Organization’s conviction on all counts of the indictment. Developing https://t.co/HJ6axUwsdN pic.twitter.com/2DPmZaFkVO— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 6, 2022
      The original indictment against the former president’s business empire read: “Beginning from at least 2005 to on or about June 30, 2021, the defendants and others devised and operated a scheme to defraud federal, New York State, and New York City tax authorities.“One of the largest individual beneficiaries of the defendants’ scheme was Allen Weisselberg. During the operation of the scheme, the defendants arranged for Weisselberg to receive in direct employee compensation from the Trump Organization in the approximate amount of $1.76 million.”None of the Trumps was charged.The tax fraud case against Donald Trump’s business empire was brought by the Manhattan district attorney.A jury found two corporate entities at the Trump Organization guilty on all 17 counts brought in this trial, including conspiracy charges and falsifying business records, the Associated Press reports.The verdict came on the second day of deliberations following a trial in which the Trump Org was accused of being complicit in a scheme by top executives to avoid paying personal income taxes on job perks such as rent-free apartments and luxury cars.The conviction is a validation for New York prosecutors, who have spent three years investigating the former president and his businesses, though the penalties aren’t expected to be severe enough to jeopardize the future of Trump’s company.As punishment, the Trump Organization could be fined up to $1.6 million — a relatively small amount for a company of its size, though the conviction might make some of its future deals more complicated.Trump, who recently announced he was running for president again, has said the case against his company was part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” waged against him by vindictive Democrats.Trump himself was not on trial but prosecutors alleged he “knew exactly what was going on” with the scheme, though he and the company’s lawyers have denied that.The case against the company was built largely around testimony from the Trump Organization’s former finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, who previously pleaded guilty to charges that he manipulated the company’s books and his own compensation package to illegally reduce his taxes.Neither Donald Trump himself or any of his family members were charged.Weisselberg took the stand having made a plea deal and attempted to take responsibility for the crimes.This case is unrelated to the civil case brought against the Trump Organization by New York state attorney general Letitia James.It’s a sweep for prosecutors of the Trump Organization in the trial in New York.Trump Organization entities GUILTY on all counts at criminal tax fraud trial.— Shayna Jacobs (@shaynajacobs) December 6, 2022
      Tax fraud, conspiracy, the whole nine yards.THE TRUMP PAYROLL CORPORATION: 1 SCHEME TO DEFRAUD IN THE FIRST DEGREE – Guilty2 CONSPIRACY IN THE FOURTH DEGREE – Guilty3 CRIMINAL TAX FRAUD IN THE THIRD DEGREE – Guilty4 CRIMINAL TAX FRAUD IN THE THIRD DEGREE – Guilty5 CRIMINAL TAX FRAUD IN THE FOURTH DEGREE – Guilty— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 6, 2022
      A jury in New York has convicted the Trump Organization of criminal tax fraud in a major blow for the former president.Although Donald Trump was not personally on trial, prosecutors insisted he was fully aware of the 15-year scheme in which they said executives were enriched by off-the-books perks to make up for lower salaries, reducing the company’s tax liabilities.The 12-person jury in New York’s state court was sent out to deliberate on Monday morning after a six-week trial in which Trump Organization lawyers pinned blame for the fraud solely on the greed of longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg.The former close ally of Trump accepted a plea deal earlier this year admitting fraud in exchange for a five-month prison sentence. Prosecutors laid out a case heavily reliant on Weisselberg’s testimony.McConnell criticized Donald Trump today about Trump’s previous calls to terminate the constitution. Without mentioning Trump’s name, McConnell said that Trump would likely have a harder time winning the presidency for a second time. From Politico: .css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Anyone seeking the presidency who thinks that the Constitution could somehow be suspended or not followed, it seems to me would have a very hard time being sworn in as the president of the United States.McConnell would not directly answer questions if he would support Trump as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. Other Republicans have attempted to distance themselves from Trump following Trump’s comments about the constitution, Politico reported. A former West Virginian politician that went to prison over his role in the Jan 6 attacks announced that he is running for Congress, reported Politico.Derrick Evans announced his run for Congress on Tuesday: .css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}After months of soul-searching, I am ready to step back into the political arena. Right now, my eyes are on Capitol Hill.More from Politico: .css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}A source familiar with the bid said Evans would explore running in the district currently held by Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.). The state’s other House seat is open, as Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) mounts a Senate bid against Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), but Miller has no plans for a similar bid.Read the full article here. Here’s video of McConnell answering questions as to why representatives of Capitol police would not shake his hand during the ceremony: Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) dodges a question then walks away after being asked about Capitol police officers and their families refusing to shake his hand at a ceremony honoring them: “I’d respond by saying today we gave the gold medal to the heroes of Jan. 6.” pic.twitter.com/X2FEqmwlZP— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) December 6, 2022
      The Justice Department special counsel has issued its first known subpoenas in an investigation into Trump documents and Jan 6. More from the Associated Press: .css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Special counsel Jack Smith has subpoenaed officials in Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, asking for communications with or involving former President Donald Trump, his campaign aides and a list of allies involved in his efforts to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
      The requests, issued to Milwaukee and Dane counties in Wisconsin; Wayne County, Michigan; and Maricopa County, Arizona, are the first known subpoenas by Smith, who was named special counsel last month by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
      Smith is overseeing the Justice Department’s investigation into the presence of classified documents at Trump’s Florida estate as well as key aspects of a separate probe involving the violent storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump’s frantic efforts to remain in power.The subpoenas, first reported by The Washington Post, are the clearest indication yet that Smith’s work will include an examination of the fake electors that were part of Trump’s efforts to subvert the election count and certification.Read the full article here. More on the Congressional gold medal ceremony for officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan 6 attack. Video from the ceremony shows representatives for those receiving the award shaking hands with Senator majority leader Chuck Schumer, but walking past Republicans Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy. From C-SPAN’s Howard Mortman:During Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for Jan. 6 police, representatives of those receiving awards shake hands with Schumer then walk past McConnell and McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/YGjKXRGtiZ— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) December 6, 2022
      Mike Fanone, a former police officer who was attacked by rioters during the Jan 6 attack, says he was heckled during the Congressional gold medal ceremony today.From NBC News:NEW: Members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Operations Division heckled former Officer Mike Fanone at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, Fanone tells me. “They called me a piece of shit and mockingly called me a great fucking hero while clapping,” he said.— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) December 6, 2022
      Fanone says they called him a disgrace, said he was not a cop anymore, and said he didn’t belong at the ceremony. It happened in the rotunda, he said.— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) December 6, 2022
      Jean-Pierre was asked about any last-minute efforts for Biden to boost Warnock ahead of Georgia’s runoff election today.Jean-Pierre said she had to respond carefully given the Hatch Act, which limits political activity some civil service members can participate in.But Jean-Pierre pointed to phone banking Biden did for Warnock last week in Boston, where Biden raised money on Warnock’s behalf.Jean-Pierre said: “He’s always said he’s willing to do whatever it takes, whatever Senator Warnock needs, for him to be helpful.”Here are comments from Jean-Pierre from yesterday about Republicans criticism of Biden when it comes to the US-Mexico border . From the Guardian’s David Smith: Jean-Pierre on border: “What are congressional Republicans going to do to actually deal with this issue?.. Why don’t they work with us? Why don’t they actually do something?… They’re playing political games and doing political stunts.”— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) December 5, 2022
      Joe Biden is now on his way to Arizona, where he will visit a semiconductor facility. A gaggle is now taking place on Air Force One, led by press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Listen here. Biden is facing pushback from Republicans for his decision not to visit the US-Mexico border during this trip, with Biden telling a reporter from Fox News that “there are more important things going on.” NEW: President Biden says he’ll be going to Arizona but tells our @pdoocy he won’t visit the border because “there are more important things going on…they’re going to invest billions of dollars in a new enterprise,” referring to a CHIPS plant he’ll be visiting in AZ. @FoxNews— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) December 6, 2022
      Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has renominated his leadership team, including a new position for Hawaii senator Brian Schatz to the newly created deputy conference secretary position, reported Politico. From Politico: .css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}According to text of the letter, Schumer will nominate:
      – Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) for Democratic whip
      – Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) for chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
      – Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for chair of the Steering Committee
      – Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for vice chair of the conference
      – Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) for vice chair of the conference
      – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for chair of outreach
      – Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for vice chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
      – Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) for Senate Democratic Conference secretary
      – Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) for vice chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
      – Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) for vice chair of outreach
      – Schatz for deputy Democratic Conference secretaryMore on McCarthy’s remarks at the Congressional gold medal ceremony. From the Associated Press’ Farnoush Amiri: GOP Leader McConnell taking more poignant approach to honoring Jan. 6 officers than McCarthy: “When an unhinged mob tried to come between the Congress and our constitutional duty, the Capitol Police fought to defend not just this institution, but our system of self government.”— Farnoush Amiri (@FarnoushAmiri) December 6, 2022 More

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      January 6 officers and relatives snub top Republicans at gold medal ceremony

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      January 6 officers and relatives snub top Republicans at gold medal ceremonyMitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy denounced as ‘two-faced’ by Brian Sicknick’s mother at Congressional Gold Medal event00:44Senior Republicans Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy were snubbed by law enforcement leaders and a fallen officer’s family at Tuesday’s Congressional Gold Medal award ceremony for Capitol police who defended against the 6 January attacks.The pair were denounced as “two-faced” by the mother of Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after a mob of Donald Trump supporters ransacked the Capitol building and forced politicians to flee for their lives.McConnell, the Senate minority leader, was caught on video with his hand outstretched, waiting in line for handshakes that never came as senior officers and Sicknick’s parents warmly greeted the Democratic House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer.The relatives and officers in uniform then walked straight past the Republican duo, barely looking at them.“They’re just two-faced. I’m just tired of them standing there and saying how wonderful the Capitol police is, and they turn around and … go down to Mar-a-Lago and kiss [Trump’s] ring,” Sicknick’s mother, Gladys Sicknick, said, according to a tweet by CNN congressional reporter Daniella Diaz.“It just hurts.”Sicknick’s brother, Ken, was also forthright. “They have no idea what integrity is. They can’t stand up for what’s right and wrong,” he said.McCarthy, who hopes to become speaker when Republicans take over the House majority next month, was widely condemned for what analysts said was a pilgrimage to Trump’s Florida resort in the days after the insurrection.After initially saying he held the outgoing president responsible for the violence of his supporters, McCarthy worked hard to regain Trump’s trust, and has promised he will investigate the January 6 bipartisan House panel who are looking into the events of that day.McConnell, similarly, has been criticized for not standing up to Trump.The book Unchecked, published in September by Rachael Bade of Politico and Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post, claimed McConnell called Trump “crazy” and vowed never to speak to him again after 6 January.But like McCarthy before him, McConnell has backed away from his original stance, and in April said he would support Trump again if he ran for the presidency. Trump announced his 2024 candidacy last month.Michael Fanone, a DC Metropolitan Police officer beaten and injured in the attack, has previously branded McCarthy “a weasel” for actions and words after the riot. Fanone attended Tuesday’s ceremony, but says he was heckled by some former colleagues.“They called me a piece of shit and mockingly called me a great fucking hero while clapping,” Fanone said, according to an NBC justice reporter, Ryan Reilly.Before the snub, McCarthy said that “days like today force us to realize how much we owe the thin blue line”.Fanone, who has since retired, was not impressed. “I’m surprised Kevin McCarthy showed up. I thought that he would be busy trying to figure out how to suspend the constitution on behalf of former president Trump,” he told CNN.TopicsUS Capitol attackUS politicsRepublicansDemocratsHouse of RepresentativesUS SenatenewsReuse this content More

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      Top US conservatives pushing Russia’s spin on Ukraine war, experts say

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      Top US conservatives pushing Russia’s spin on Ukraine war, experts saySome of the Kremlin’s most blatant falsehoods aimed at undercutting US aid are promoted by major figures on the right Ever since Russia launched its brutal war in Ukraine the Kremlin has banked on American conservative political and media allies to weaken US support for Ukraine and deployed disinformation operations to falsify the horrors of the war for both US and Russian audiences, say disinformation experts.Some of the Kremlin’s most blatant falsehoods about the war aimed at undercutting US aid for Ukraine have been promoted by major figures on the American right, from Holocaust denier and white supremacist Nick Fuentes to ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon and Fox News star Tucker Carlson, whose audience of millions is deemed especially helpful to Russian objectives.On a more political track, House Republican Freedom Caucus members such as Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Scott Perry – who in May voted with 54 other Republican members against a $40bn aid package for Ukraine, and have raised other concerns about the war – have proved useful, though perhaps unwitting, Kremlin allies at times.Pro-Moscow video materials from the network RT (formerly Russia Today), which early this year shuttered its US operations, have been featured on Rumble, a video sharing platform popular with conservatives that last year received major financing from a venture capital firm co-founded by recently elected Republican Ohio senator JD Vance and backed by billionaire Peter Thiel.As Republicans will control the House in 2023, the influence of these Ukraine aid critics in Congress and Moscow-friendly media on the right led by Carlson is expected to increase. But analysts say they’re unlikely to block a Biden administration request to Congress in mid-November for over $37bn in emergency aid for Ukraine, although they may try to pare it back.Republican House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, who looks poised to become speaker in January, threatened pre-election that if the GOP won the majority, it wouldn’t back a “blank check” for Ukraine.There are signs that the conservative wing of the Republican party and its media allies are already ratcheting up their criticism of US backing for Ukraine. For instance, Perry, the chair of the rightwing Freedom Caucus, in October floated the idea of Republicans using their anticipated control of the House to investigate the Biden administration’s efforts and policies involving Ukraine-Russia peace talks.Moscow’s political friends on the far right have also become more vocal in pushing falsehoods and have hosted some Freedom Caucus members to showcase their influence.Fuentes infamously dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month despite his long record of cozying up to Putin and his antisemitic and white supremacist remarks. Back in March, Fuentes said on his podcast: “We continue to support czar Putin in the war effort.” Fuentes also falsely claimed the Russian war in Ukraine was “not aggression” and its goals were “not unreasonable”, repeating the Kremlin line that Moscow is trying to denazify Ukraine.In a similar, albeit somewhat less inflammatory vein, Carlson’s pro-Moscow spin and distortions about the war have been palpable since the start and seem to have increased in recent months. Russian media often rebroadcasts the Fox News host’s comments and praises Carlson. “We’ve entered a new phase, one in which the United States is directly at war with the largest nuclear power in the world,” Carlson with considerable hyperbolic license warned his audience in late September.Disinformation experts note that in the run-up to the US midterm elections, conservative media stars such as Carlson, as well as Greene and other far-right members of Congress, became more vocal about blocking Ukraine assistance, and calling for audits of American assistance.“Marjorie Taylor Green’s introduction of a resolution to audit aid to Ukraine is entirely unsurprising given the pervasively negative messaging about Ukraine coming from the right flank of the GOP over the past three months,” Bret Schafer, a senior fellow with the Alliance for Securing Democracy, said.Prior to the 8 November elections, he noted that “of the 100 most retweeted tweets about Ukraine posted by GOP candidates for the House since August, roughly 90% opposed continued support for Ukraine. Though much of that messaging plays to simple pocketbook concerns – essentially saying, ‘Why are we supporting Ukraine when Americans are struggling to pay their bills?’ – there is also a strain of anti-Ukrainian disinformation that colors some of their commentary.”Schafer added that “although most members of Congress support Ukraine, the loudest members do not, and their voices are dominating online spaces”.John Sipher, who served in the CIA’s national clandestine services for 28 years with a stint leading its Russia operations, said that Putin is using a playbook that he honed during his long career with the KGB to influence policy and Russian opinion.“I think Putin’s weakness is that he is not a strategic thinker but reverts to what he knows – using covert means to influence and undermine others,” Sipher said. “He cannot win on the battlefield so he uses threats and intimidations to influence and scare western leaders into backing down or pushing Ukraine to the negotiating table.”Sipher noted that historically Putin “has weaponized energy, information, refugees, food and nuclear threats to get his way. I think his nuclear threats are just a means to sow unease and dissension among supporters of Ukraine, and suspect that the discussion of a ‘dirty bomb’ is meant to signal to his domestic audience that Ukraine is a real threat, and the population should support Putin’s tough measures.”In the US the audiences receiving pro-Putin messages have been boosted by Rumble, the video sharing platform, which has featured RT content including an interview with two Americans captured in Ukraine who were badly beaten by Russians and later released, as the New York Times last month reported.One of the two American men in the video clip told his interviewer while he was in custody that he had been deceived to fight in Ukraine by “propaganda from the west” that reported that Russians soldiers were “indiscriminately killing civilians”.Megan Squire, a deputy director for data analytics with the Southern Poverty Law Center, noted that Rumble has also been busy recycling pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine material from multiple figures on the right.“Alt-tech platforms such as Rumble are actively peddling the anti-Ukraine talking points of their heavy users, many of whom have been deplatformed elsewhere,” Squire said. “A simple search for ‘Ukraine’ in Rumble today shows that the top search results are for a Steve Bannon video where he promotes Marjorie Taylor Greene’s demands for an audit of Ukrainian relief funds, and junk news site Post Millennial, which is using Rumble to promote clips from a similar story from Tucker Carlson.”But for overall influence with American audiences, veteran Russia experts say Carlson’s big Fox megaphone still dwarfs other propaganda tools favorable to Moscow.“The audience for Fox News commentators like Tucker Carlson, who frequently spreads pro-Russian narratives, is obviously orders of magnitude bigger than that of new niche players like Rumble that often carry Russian disinformation,” said Andrew Weiss, a vice-president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Such platforms are far more impactful than the more sneaky techniques that the Russian propaganda apparatus employs these days.”TopicsThe far rightRepublicansFox NewsUS politicsRussiaUkrainenewsReuse this content More