William Hogarth Humours of an Election, Plate 2 1754
Peashooter
https://twitter.com/i/status/1814728144957678054
Trump warning
NEW: Donald Trump raises suspicion about the July 13 attack where he almost lost his life, says no one warned him of the threat.
Infuriating.
“Nobody said there was a problem. And I would've waited for 15 minutes, 20 minutes.”
“I think that was a mistake. How did somebody get… pic.twitter.com/vIW2OjqwrX
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 21, 2024
Alex
Breaking! Hillary Clinton to replace Joe Biden as democrat nominee at DNC convention! pic.twitter.com/hF1djOiisn
— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) July 20, 2024
Breaking: Tech Experts Believe Microsoft/CrowdStrike Outage Connected To Theft Of 2024 Election pic.twitter.com/AAXFrfPDbO
— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) July 21, 2024
Trump Kamala
Donald Trump on Kamala Harris: “I call her Laffin’ Kamala. You ever watch her laugh? She’s crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh… She’s nuts” pic.twitter.com/me9EOy7vSf
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 20, 2024
Kamala ad 2020
https://twitter.com/i/status/1815093579078861256
Cavoli
While Biden and his neocon principals love to brag about how they've handed Russia a grand strategic defeat in Ukraine, the people who actually have to carry out their policies see it differently.
Here's Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, supreme allied commander Europe and… pic.twitter.com/sgz3AJ5fC8
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 20, 2024
“..the DNC may be able to avoid some very difficult federal election law questions.”
• Biden Drops Out Of 2024 Race; Resignation Calls Grow (ZH)
President Joe Biden is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, has endorsed Kamala Harris, and will “focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” He also won’t address the nation about it until sometime next week (after his next blood transfusion, we assume?). And while 81 million voters are surely crestfallen, Kamala Harris’ odds of being the 2024 Democratic nominee naturally spiked. Roughly 30 minutes after Biden announced he was leaving the race, his social media team followed up with an endorsement of Harris. “My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump.” Let’s do this.
And of course, if Biden can’t run, how can he remain president? Shortly after Biden’s announcement, House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X: “Rgardless of the chaos in the current White House, our adversaries around the globe should be reminded that the U.S. Congress, the U.S. military, and the American people are fully prepared and committed to defend our interests both at home and abroad. If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”
[..] Jonathan Turley notes: “The decision of Joe Biden to withdraw from his reelection bid raises the obvious question of how he can continue as president if he is incapable of running for that office. The Democratic Party seems to have created its own 25th Amendment, but there remains the “other” 25th Amendment. This is a type of 25th-lite option where you lack capacity to run but not to serve for an office. It also focuses attention on the efforts of Democrats to drop any challengers or hold any debates through the primary as millions voted for Biden. Holding a party “primary” in a matter of weeks is hardly a substitute for a primary campaign to expose candidates to prolonged.
The problem for the White House is the glaring disconnect between pulling out of the election but holding on to the office. Pulling out as simply politically incapable of winning makes a mockery of the unopposed primary process. Yet, pulling out do to diminished capacity makes a mockery of his political office. There is a striking lack of clarity on the basis for this historic action.. There are also legal questions under the federal election laws. After the democrats rallied around prosecuting Trump for federal election laws, they hardly want a controversy on the transfer of huge amounts of donations to a new candidate…
…Harris has the advantage in claiming that she is the least controversial recipient of the contributions as part of the shared ticket with Biden. She would be able to avoid any primary fight and be made the party nominee by acclamation of the party elite…
…In doing so, the DNC may be able to avoid some very difficult federal election law questions.”
I heard last week that he would resign at this exact time and date. It was widespread knowledge in DC.
The real powers that be are discarding the old puppet in favor of one that has a better chance of fooling the public.
They fear Trump because he is not a puppet.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2024
He should have made a video.
My Fellow Americans,
Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation. Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history’ of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
I know none of this could have been done without you. the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection. I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision. For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me. I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.
—————
Trump has responded to the news, posting the following on Truth Social: Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve – And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t – And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
“Trump also approved of the Harris endorsement, suggesting that defeating her “will be easier than Biden.”
• Biden Endorses Kamala Harris As His Successor (RT)
US President Joe Biden has offered his “full support and endorsement” to Vice President Kamala Harris to be picked as the Democratic Party nominee for the upcoming elections. Biden proclaimed his support on X (formerly Twitter), shortly after announcing his decision to drop out of the race. Insisting that he would “not accept the nomination” and focus all his “energies” on his presidential duties, Biden said picking Harris as his VP was the “best decision” he made. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden wrote.
Shortly before endorsing Harris, Biden released an open letter to announce his withdrawal from the presidential race. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” he wrote, promising to address the nation on the matter later on. Former US President and the Republican Party’s pick Donald Trump was quick to comment on the withdrawal of his likely rival, slamming Biden as the “worst president ever.” Trump also approved of the Harris endorsement, suggesting that defeating her “will be easier than Biden.”
“Kamala Harris is extremely unpopular, more unpopular than President Biden. When she ran for president last time, she got literally zero votes.”
• US is ‘In a Serious State of Crisis’ (Sp.)
On July 21, US President Joe Biden suddenly announced that he is not going to seek reelection and is dropping out from the presidential race. “I assume that Covid was the last straw since it apparently knocked him for a loop,” US constitutional historian and political commentator Dan Lazare said regarding Joe Biden’s sudden withdrawal from the presidential race. He argued that by delaying his withdrawal for so long, Biden actually “hurt the Democrats,” and predicted that Kamala Harris, Biden’s VP and possible presidential candidate, will “do better on the campaign trail than most people expect.” “Whether it’s fatal is unknown although I still think Trump will win,” Lazare added referring to Biden’s delayed withdrawal.
Lazare’s sentiment was shared by Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, who suggested that Biden pulling out of the race at this time “puts the Democratic Party in total and complete chaos.” “How can they bring out a candidate with just a few months before the election?” McAdams inquired. “Kamala Harris is extremely unpopular, more unpopular than President Biden. When she ran for president last time, she got literally zero votes. The question is, what will the party do?” He added that, if recent rumors about Hillary Clinton being ready to “jump in the race” are confirmed, it would result in a “redux of the 2016 election,” a showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
McAdams also wondered aloud about the fate of the votes cast for Biden during the Democratic Party primaries. “How can their votes be changed, especially by the party that purports to defend our democracy? It seems people who voted for Biden are not going to get Biden,” he said. “Number two, if President Biden is not mentally capable of running for reelection, how is it possible that he will remain as president with his fingers on the nuclear codes? It seems like admitting he is not capable of running again means that he’s not capable of being president today,” McAdams said. “The United States right now is truly in a serious state of crisis. This week is going to be incredibly packed full of events,” he added.
Two articles from before Joe quit the race.
“It was a total failure. It was damaging. It was poor planning,” said one. Another called it “ludicrous.” It was also described as “mismanaged and rushed.”
• Donors Vent Over Kamala Harris Conference-Call Flop (ZH)
Major Democratic donors who joined a conference call starring Vice President Kamala Harris say the event’s sloppy organization and scolding tone left them feeling unimpressed and insulted, NBC News has reported. “It was a total failure. It was damaging. It was poor planning,” said one. Another called it “ludicrous.” It was also described as “mismanaged and rushed.” The Friday call with about 300 heavy-hitter donors kicked off with reports from field organizers, who used their time to vent anger over the intra-party battle over whether Biden should be replaced atop the ticket, owing to plunging confidence in his mental health. One participant described how organizers stalled to buy time while everyone waited for Harris to join the call 20 minutes after it started. During that stretch, the donors were “admonished” against agitating to replace Biden, and were instructed to “lock in and get behind” the faltering and frail 81-year-old.
According to a transcript obtained by NBC, Melissa Morales, the founder of Somos Votantes, a voter outreach group targeting Latinos, was one of those instructing donors to fall in line: “It’s time to stop the leaks and the rampant rumors. Your message has been heard and received. But every day that we continue this publicly chaotic conversation, we come closer to a loss — no matter who the nominee is.” As you can imagine, that kind of tone didn’t set well with many in the audience who’ve committed big money to the campaign and the party. “These are donors who are not used to getting admonished and told what to do,” said one of NBC’s sources who’d heard the call. Many of those donors went into the call expecting to receive insider insights on how the party was going to recover from the devastating impact of Biden’s June 27 debate performance and the ongoing, damaging battle over the looming nomination.
They instead received the “bad-cop/good-cop” treatment — first scolded for their lack of faith in Biden and then given a pep talk from Harris: “We know which candidate in this election puts the American people first: Our President, Joe Biden. With every decision he makes in the Oval Office, he thinks about how it will impact working Americans. And I witness it every day.” “Something I believe in my heart of hearts. It is something I feel strongly you should all hear and should take with you when you leave. And tell your friends too. We are going to win this election. We are going to win.” Her rah-rah remarks came on the same day that saw a record number of federal lawmakers — 11 — step forward to join others who’d already urged Biden to abandon his re-election bid. One of them was Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. The chair of the Senate Finance Committee, he’s the highest-ranking member of Congress to publicly tell Biden to give up. Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have privately encouraged Biden to quit, as has former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Given the reviews, the call seems unlikely to jostle new money out of donors who’ve grown increasingly reluctant to throw money at what appears to be a doomed campaign. Some are withholding money not only from the presidential campaign, but from congressional candidates too, whose prospects are diminished by having Biden as the standard-bearer. The Biden-Harris hoped to rake in $50 million from big donors in July, but is only on pace to hit half that, Reuters reported Friday. With no faith in either half of the Biden-Harris ticket, major donors are taking matters into their own hands. One group is bankrolling — independent of the Democratic National Committee — a process to start vetting potential successors to Biden, according to Washington Post sources.
Among the names being bounced around: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Meanwhile, as he completes his allegedly Covid-triggered convalescence in Delaware, Biden’s campaign is reportedly considering rushing him back on the campaign trail, with trips to Georgia and Texas under consideration. Get ready for another string of video “highlights” demonstrating that he’s neither fit to run nor govern.
“..while many believe that President Biden is too enfeebled to serve as president, no one has credibly made that claim about the older justices.”
• Joe Biden Sets His Final Price With Offer To ‘Limit’ The Supreme Court (Turley)
This week, President Joe Biden finally named a price. As a growing number of panicked Democrats moved to force him off the ticket before the convention, Biden has offered something that the far left has demanded for years: limiting the Supreme Court. It was another defining moment for Biden, and it was far from complimentary. Winston Churchill once purportedly asked an English socialite at a dinner if her principles would prevent her from sleeping with him for 5 million pounds. The socialite admitted that it would be hard to turn down such a fortune. Churchill then offered five pounds. When his aghast antagonist asked, “What type of woman do you think I am?” Churchill replied “We’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.” This week, Biden finally stopped haggling and set his price.
According to the Washington Post, the president held a Zoom call with the left-wing Congressional Progressive Caucus, chaired by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D.-Wash.) and co-chaired by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). He thrilled them by agreeing to “come out with a major initiative on limiting the court.” He added that he was looking to them for support because “I need some help.” Even the New York Times noted the timing as a shift in his position that would appeal to the far left of his party. It was another reversal for the president prompted by political expediency like his flipping on the filibuster rule and, years ago, on abortion.In the 2020 election, many of us were highly critical of Biden for refusing to reveal his position on packing the Supreme Court and other so-called reform proposals. It was one of the major issues in the election, but Biden refused to tell voters where he stood to avoid alienating both moderates and the far left.
Liberal professors, pundits and politicians, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), continued to demand that the court be packed with an instant liberal majority. During his administration, Biden sought to appease his base by establishing a commission that explored absurd, radical proposals for changing the court. As many of us predicted, Biden waited years and later admitted that he had no intention to pack the court. He then decided to run for reelection and faced a revolt in his party, including hysteria over his dismal polling numbers. If those numbers were 10 points higher, the Supreme Court might be safe for another 10 years. However, it is now just another price for power. In decades of public service, Biden has shown an impressive moral and political flexibility. He has shifted on almost every major issue as polls made his earlier positions unpopular, or when trying to appeal to a larger Democratic constituency.
From abortion to gun rights to criminal justice, Biden does not allow principle to stand in the way of politics, and the politics today could not be more dire. What is most striking about a term limits proposal is that it is completely removed from the substance of the left’s complaints. Ironically, while many believe that President Biden is too enfeebled to serve as president, no one has credibly made that claim about the older justices.
“It’s time for us all to unite around Kamala Harris and beat Donald Trump… Long live the American Dream!”
• Musk Thanks Soros For Unveiling ‘Next Puppet’ (RT)
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has mocked George Soros and his son for quickly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the “most qualified candidate we have” to replace Joe Biden, who dropped out of the race on Sunday. After Biden announced his decision not to seek re-election in November, Alex Soros, the son of billionaire financier George Soros and heir to his father’s philanthropic empire, promptly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, describing her as the Democrats’ “best” shot to defeat Donald Trump. “It’s time for us all to unite around Kamala Harris and beat Donald Trump… Long live the American Dream!” Alex Soros wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), attaching a picture of himself with Harris. “I’d just like to thank Alexander Soros for not keeping everyone in suspense about who the next puppet would be,” Elon Musk, the owner of X, wrote in response.
George Soros also personally supports Harris, his spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. As a prominent US Democratic Party donor, George Soros funneled around $128 million to candidates and organizations during the midterm elections in 2022, and gifted $5 million to the main political action committee backing Biden the day after the president’s flubbed debate against Donald Trump last month. Musk previously slammed the liberal Hungarian billionaire for effectively trying to dismantle society by ensuring laws are not enforced. “He’s doing things that erode the fabric of civilization,” Musk said during a podcast with Joe Rogan last year, explaining that the current lawlessness plaguing American cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles is the result of Soros backing progressive District Attorneys who “refuse to prosecute crime.”
Musk also claimed that despite the 93-year-old Soros being “pretty old” and “basically a bit senile” at this point, he was nevertheless “very smart” and very good at arbitrage, figuring out that the highest “value for money” was in supporting local races rather than national election campaigns like those for the Senate or the presidency. Liberal tycoon George Soros, who shot to infamy for crashing the British pound in 1992, is among the wealthiest men on earth, with an estimated personal net worth of around $7 billion. Last year, he stepped down from the helm of his Open Society Foundations, handing over control of the $25 billion NGO to his 38-year-old son, Alex.
“Zakharova noted it was highly unusual to have just a screenshot of a letter posted on social media rather than a video or audio statement.”
• Time To Investigate ‘Collusion’ About Biden’s Health – Zakharova (RT)
There needs to be an investigation into a possible conspiracy among American political circles and the media to manipulate the public regarding President Joe Biden’s health, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. Biden announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he would not seek re-election in November, less than a month before the Democratic National Convention was scheduled to start in Chicago. Commenting on his announcement in an interview with Russian media, Zakharova noted it was highly unusual to have just a screenshot of a letter posted on social media rather than a video or audio statement. “In the modern world, filled with post-truth and deep fakes, it’s very important to leave no room for speculation,” Zakharova said.
Assuming Biden’s letter is authentic, as the US media – and the public alongside them –appear to have done, it “raises the question of investigating what I call the collusion of the American media with political circles, including officials and the so-called expert community, who hid the true state of affairs regarding Biden’s mental health,” she added. Anyone who truly cares about free speech, transparency, and “our democracy” in America should support this, according to Zakharova. It’s time to highlight all these statements and actions of the manipulation machine—their propaganda of lies.
Zakharova added that questions about Biden’s cognitive capabilities had been raised four years ago, back in 2020. The Democrat did not bother to campaign actively but stayed in his basement and repeatedly made gaffes in video interviews with supporters and friendly media. He then officially won the election by the most votes ever in US history. Biden’s personal X account posted the letter on Sunday afternoon, noting that he was not resigning from the presidency but letting the Democrats pick someone else as their nominee “in the best interest of my party and the country.” He later endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, for the job. Trump responded by slamming Biden as the “worst president ever” and cheered for the Harris endorsement, suggesting that defeating her “will be easier than Biden.”
“If Biden is mentally unfit to campaign, he is mentally unfit to have the nuclear codes..”
• Biden ‘Mentally Unfit’ To Have Nuclear Codes – Top Republican (RT)
US President Joe Biden has declared that he plans to serve out the remainder of his term, which officially ends in January, but he is facing growing pressure from critics to step down after deciding not to seek re-election in November. Just moments after Biden announced his decision on Sunday, Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, accused Democrats of lying to the American people. He argued that if Biden lacks the mental capacity to run for re-election, he cannot continue to serve the remainder of his term. “This is a scandal of historic proportions. President Biden is incapacitated, Democrats knew, and they lied to the American people to cover it up. If Biden is mentally unfit to campaign, he is mentally unfit to have the nuclear codes,” Hudson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
US House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed that sentiment, calling the development an “unprecedented juncture in American history” and urging Biden to resign immediately. “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough,” Johnson said in a statement, adding that the Democrats’ prospects “are no better” with Harris. A host of Republican lawmakers also joined the chorus calling for Biden’s resignation. Florida Senator Rick Scott, Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise, and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York are among dozens who have demanded that Biden relinquish the presidency.
KEarlier in the day, before the US leader announced his move, Ohio Senator and Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, questioned how Biden can “justify remaining President” if he drops out from the race. “Not running for re-election would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief. There is no middle ground,” Vance wrote.
“I could’ve sworn she was the first lady, and that Biden was a normal person just two weeks ago.”
• Jill Biden Drops Out Of Presidential Race (BBee)
Jill Biden has formally dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, she announced today at a press conference that was supposed to be for her husband. “I cannot in good conscience continue,” the acting president said as her husband wandered around somewhere backstage. Journalists expressed shock and disappointment to learn that not only has Joe Biden been a decrepit old man for the last three years — he hasn’t even been president. “Well, this is news to me!” said CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I could’ve sworn she was the first lady, and that Biden was a normal person just two weeks ago.”
Jill Biden said she would not seek a second term because she was tired of everyone thinking her husband was the real president. “He’s a skeleton in a skin suit that has been reanimated by dark magicks to nod and smile at people. Frankly, I’m insulted no one has caught on that I’m the actual president,” she complained. “I’m tired of him getting all the glory!” Neither Jill nor her husband took any questions. At publishing time, Jill Biden had begun working on plans for her husband’s presidential library — which she would make sure was all about her.
Set-up.
• Secret Service Busted, “Repeatedly” Denied Trump Security Requests (ZH)
The Secret Service has been caught in a lie. Last Sunday, one day after the Trump assassination attempt, Secret Service spox Anthony Guglielmi insisted that it was an “untrue assertion” that Trump’s campaign was denied additional security resources, calling it “absolutely false.” “In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo,” he continued in a post on X. Guglielmi doubled down three hours later, telling RealClearPolitics’ White House correspondent Susan Crabtree that her report on diverted resources was “very wrong.” What’s more, “Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who has been under pressure to resign over security lapses at the rally, repeated that denial in a meeting with Trump campaign leadership in Wisconsin on Monday,” according to the Washington Post.
Fast forward to Saturday, and the Washington Post reveals that they lied. According to the new report, “Top officials at the U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied requests for additional resources and personnel sought by Donald Trump’s security detail in the two years leading up to his attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday, according to four people familiar with the requests.” Agents charged with protecting the former president requested magnetometers and more agents to screen attendees at sporting events and other large public gatherings Trump attended, as well as additional snipers and specialty teams at other outdoor events, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive security discussions. The requests, which have not been previously reported, were sometimes denied by senior officials at the agency, who cited various reasons, including a lack of resources at an agency that has long struggled with staffing shortages, they said.
Those rejections — in response to requests that were several times made in writing — led to long-standing tensions that pitted Trump, his top aides and his security detail against Secret Service leadership, as Trump advisers privately fretted that the vaunted security agency was not doing enough to protect the former president. The Secret Service, after initially denying turning down requests for additional security, is now acknowledging some may have been rejected. The revelation comes as agency veterans say the organization has been forced to make difficult decisions amid competing demands, a growing list of protectees and limited funding. -WaPo. After WaPo confronted Guglielmi, he said that the agency ‘had learned new information indicating the agency’s headquarters may have in fact denied some requests for additional security from Trump’s detail,” something he should have probably checked before be lied.
Meanwhile, the Secret Service tried to block a Trump team request for metal detectors at his son Barron’s high school graduation, according to the NY Times. According to the WaPo report, a Secret Service official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the agency has finite resources, and has to juggle competing demands – particularly for countersnipers, counterassault teams, and teams of uniformed division officers. So – it appears they gave Trump the Temu team because they were spread too thin.
[..] As The Conservative Treehouse points out, the silence here is deafening… The biggest question inside the investigation of the Trump assassination attempt, is the thing no one has mentioned.
• Why have there been no daily press briefings?
• Where are the official 10:00am press briefing updates every day on the investigation?
• Where are the official press conferences from the Secret Service, FBI and law enforcement answering questions and providing information from the prior days investigative results?
• Where are the organized and official updates to let the American people know what has been found out about the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump?Instead, the Secret Service, FBI and Law Enforcement have been selectively leaking details, testing what would be and would not be accepted, and we have only seen controlled snippets of information. Much of the information within those leaks has been lies, sometimes absurd in their construct, pushed through a generally incurious media. Smart people have noted the absence of the official public information process indicates something very sketchy in the background. [ie. the dog that didn’t bark] The attempted assassination of President Trump is a big deal; perhaps one of the biggest events in recent history. There is massive public interest. If ordinary procedures and protocols were being followed, we would have official daily updates at scheduled press conferences, and the media would be able to present questions based on presented information. The absence of these press briefings told us something that is not good. But perhaps today, we find out why.
“May not make it to November.”
“Cheatle is scheduled to testify in front of Congress on Monday..”
• Deep State Could Take ‘Another Shot’ at Trump – Two Former US Officials (Sp.)
Former US President and Republican nominee for President Donald Trump might not make it to the election, former CIA analyst and co-founder of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity Ray McGovern and Former US Assistant Treasury Secretary Paul Craig Roberts speculated in separate interviews with Sputnik. “My question is whether they (the deep state) will take another shot at Trump,” McGovern said on Friday. “I’m serious here. There’s so much at stake. So damn much at stake. And I just wonder if he’s going to make it and, call me a conspiracy theorist, but these people, they don’t have much conscience if they tolerate genocide in Gaza, if they tolerate half a million Ukrainian youths being killed for their whims.” Roberts expressed similar sentiments on Sunday. “The real question is: will the deep state get away with its assassination attempt and will it attempt another?” Roberts said.
“I expect that there will be more attempts on Trump’s life.” Roberts pointed out that they utilized multiple tactics to get rid of Trump before turning to assassination: “Russia-gate, two impeachments, porn star-gate, documents-gate, insurrection-gate and then 4 criminal indictments and several civil indictments.” “The Democrats acting for the deep state believed they could get rid of Trump in these ways,” Roberts said. “When these attempts failed, they turned to assassination. Acoustic evidence of the shootings makes it completely clear that there were more than one shooter. [Thomas Matthew] Crooks was the patsy. Trump survived the assassination because he turned his head.” Crooks, the alleged deceased shooter, allegedly managed to get through security carrying a laser rangefinder and scaled a nearby building as onlookers attempted to warn police officers and Secret Service agents to no avail.
Information from authorities has also been inconsistent, with initial reports saying Crooks carried his rifle with him, later reports said the gun was planted before the event. During live coverage of the shooting on US media, several eyewitnesses reported that they heard two shooters, with at least one mentioning a nearby water tower which has since become the subject of online speculation. The excuses for why the building was not covered have also been inconsistent. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle initially said that the local police were in charge of the building an assertion state authorities denied. Later, she claimed the roof was too steep to safely place an agent on it. Reports have also noted that the Secret Service was made aware of Crooks anywhere from ten to thirty minutes before Trump was shot.
Cheatle is scheduled to testify in front of Congress on Monday. Despite numerous calls from public officials, she has declined to resign from her post. Meanwhile, The US House Committee on Homeland Security has issued a subpoena to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, demanding documents related to the security plan for the event. The letter says that Mayorkas “has failed to properly satisfy our requests for documents and information regarding the security efforts,” related to the assassination attempt. “Incompetence on the part of the federal agencies is the default position, you’ve got to know that first,” explained McGovern. “There’s so much ample evidence of that. But this one, [there’s] too much evidence. It doesn’t parse.”
“In order to keep the public’s focus off the attempted assassination, the Secret Service is being blamed for withholding sufficient resources necessary to protect Trump,” argued Roberts. “This focuses attention away from a plot to kill Trump and places it on the sufficiency of the Secret Service’s budget and the appropriateness of its ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ personnel policy.” But Roberts does not think the investigation, even if run by Republicans, will vigorously search for the truth. “The Republicans are likely to agree to sweep the intent [of the alleged shooter] issue under the rug in order to ‘protect America’s reputation,’” Roberts said. “It wouldn’t do to showcase the US as a country where presidents and would-be presidents are shot down by the opposition.” McGovern notes the deep state had the means, motive and opportunity to take out Trump.
“The politician said he wanted France out of NATO because the military alliance “sticks to the war logic.”
• ‘France Unbowed’ Leader Melenchon Calls for Withdrawal From NATO (Sp.)
Jean-Luc Melenchon, founder of the left-wing France Unbowed party, told Spanish newspaper El Pais in an interview out Sunday that he would pull France out of NATO if elected the country’s president. “I choose the logic of disarmament and appeasement … If I were at the Elysee Palace, I would certainly systematically and in an organized manner withdraw from the joint military command, from NATO. Especially during the war, to avoid seeing the country involved in this story,” Melenchon told the newspaper. The politician said he wanted France out of NATO because the military alliance “sticks to the war logic.” In late June, Florian Philippot, the leader of French euroskeptic party The Patriots, called for France’s withdrawal from NATO after Ukraine launched a deadly missile strike on a crowded beach in Crimea. He called this an escalation and accused NATO of seeking a total war.
“Whatever move he makes, he risks political suicide. It would be a nightmare if we were to fight for another two years..”
• Any Zelensky Peace Deal Would Require A Referendum – Mayor of Kiev (RT)
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky would likely need to hold a nationwide referendum to “legitimize” any potential peace agreement with Russia, the Mayor of Kiev Vitaly Klitschko has said. Effectively, any move Zelensky could make risks his “political suicide,” Klitschko believes. Speaking with Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Sunday, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital predicted that the “next few months” are set to be “very difficult” for Zelensky. “We are waiting for the US elections, but to establish peace we will need a referendum,” he said. The nationwide vote would likely be needed to “legitimize” a potential peace deal with Moscow, given that any compromise would be very hard to explain to the Ukrainian public, Klitschko believes.
Continuing the hostilities for another few years, however, is not an option either, the mayor insisted. “I do not think [Zelensky] can reach such painful and crucial agreements by himself without public legitimacy,” Klitschko opined. “How to explain to the country that it is necessary to give up parts of our territory that cost the lives of thousands of our military heroes? Whatever move he makes, he risks political suicide. It would be a nightmare if we were to fight for another two years,” the mayor added.
Establishing an Israeli-style national unity government could be an option for Ukraine to go through the difficult period and “legitimize” a potential peace deal, the official suggested. “However, I do not think [Zelensky] is willing to give up the power concentrated in his hands under martial law,” Klitschko admitted. Zelensky remains in power in Ukraine despite his term in office officially having expired in May. He opted not to hold a presidential election, citing martial law imposed due to the conflict with Russia. Moscow has signaled it considers that Zelensky’s legitimacy has “expired” and does not regard him as a genuine president of the country any longer.
Motorola, Siemens.
• Western Big Tech Giants Enable Israel’s Occupation (Klarenberg)
This week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s continued presence in occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible.” Notably, the court opened the door to “reparations” for any illegal actions carried out by Israel and other entities since 1967. Multiple consumer-facing western tech companies that not only profit from illegal Jewish settlement expansion but actively provide core infrastructure and resources used to oppress Palestinians and enforce Tel Aviv’s apartheid could now be subject to lawsuits. The ICJ’s landmark judgment means the long-term viability of these tech firms’ operations in the occupied territories is moribund – for fear of legal repercussions, if nothing else. Fittingly, given Germany is currently in the dock at the ICJ for its support and facilitation of the genocide in Gaza, Munich-headquartered tech conglomerate Siemens is among the culprits.
The firm is “focused on automation and digitalization in the manufacturing industries, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, smart mobility solutions for rail transport, and medical technology and digital healthcare services.” Its products are profuse throughout the occupation state and its illegal settlements. Traffic control systems and traffic lights produced by Siemens can be found in areas of the West Bank where Palestinian residents are forbidden from traveling. In 2014, the company’s Israeli subdivision RS Industries won a tender to provide traffic control systems across the Jerusalem Municipality too – East Jerusalem, designated as the capital of the Palestinian state, was occupied in 1967, and falls within the ICJ’s mandate. Elsewhere, Siemens provides its DDEMU model cars for the Tel Aviv Jerusalem Fast Train and, in 2018, was awarded a $1 billion contract by the entity-owned Israel Railways to supply 330 electric cars as part of Israel’s electrification project, which includes the Tel Aviv – Jerusalem Fast Train (A1).
A highly controversial project that passes through two areas of the West Bank, including privately owned, occupied Palestinian land, it is intended for exclusive use by Israeli Jews. Don’t Buy Into Occupation (DBIO) states: “Siemens’ activities are of concern, as they are linked to the provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements.” However, the company’s activities extend far further. Through its Israeli representative, Orad Group, the company provides equipment and technology to the notorious Israel Prison Service (IPS). In 2004, the Orad Group provided a Siemens technology-based perimeter security system to Gilboa prison — a detention center specifically designated for Palestinian political prisoners. Siemens also supplies the IPS with a sophisticated fire detection and extinguishing system.
US brand Motorola is widely recognized for its innovative smartphone devices. However, DBIO has meticulously documented the involvement of Motorola’s Tel Aviv division in settlement expansion over the past decade. The tech giant has collaborated closely with Israeli occupation forces, the Ministry of Defense, and Zionist settlement councils across the illegally occupied territories. A prime example of this collaboration is the surveillance system “MotoEagle,” designed to monitor settlers on appropriated land, operate within occupation military bases, and oversee the Gaza concentration camp’s separation wall. Notably, Motorola-produced radar stations have been installed on illegally appropriated private Palestinian land, restricting Palestinian movement in these areas. Furthermore, Motorola supplies the Ministry of Defense’s Zramim System, a smart card operation utilized at Israeli checkpoints to monitor goods transportation. Palestinian drivers, merchants, and transport companies are compelled to register their personal information in this system, enabling Tel Aviv to monitor all entry and exit points meticulously.
“Tensions that, in tight-knit areas such as working-class neighbourhoods and small rural villages, will inevitably spill over.”
• Ireland – Mass-Immigration and the Great Reset (O’Reilly)
On Monday morning, Ireland would awake to reports of unrest in the Dublin suburb of Coolock, when after months of peaceful protest by local residents over plans to move upwards of 500 male migrants into a disused paint factory in the working-class neighborhood, tensions would come to a head when Irish riot police cleared the on-site protest camp in a heavy-handed early morning raid. In response, work vehicles intended to convert the site would be set ablaze, leading to scenes reminiscent of the north of Ireland in the late 60s or early 70s. As the day progressed, the parallels between Coolock and the Ireland of half a century ago would grow. Heavily-militarised police, under the direction of Garda commissioner and former RUC Deputy Constable Drew Harris, would soon arrive in the North Dublin suburb, resulting in scenes akin to Belfast or Derry in 1969.
Local residents, including women, children, and the elderly, would be brutalised, a popular video streamer and citizen journalist would be arrested, and a number of elected representatives, who had arrived on the scene in a bid to calm tensions, would be pepper sprayed by police. By the end of the day, 15 people would be arrested and charged, with their names and addresses highly-publicised by the Irish media, an effective warning to others to not protest against the current immigration policies being imposed by Leinster House, which has seen large numbers of male migrants being placed into wildly unsuitable locations such as an inner city office block and childrens primary school, with no prior consultation being held with local communities beforehand.
Indeed, similar scenes would erupt in the small rural village of Newtownmountkennedy in late April, when again, after weeks of peaceful protest by local residents in opposition to plans to house male migrants in a disused hospital in the locality, police would once again carry out a heavy-handed early-morning raid on an on-site protest camp. In the ensuing hours, local residents would again be brutalised, a female journalist would be pepper sprayed, and martial law would effectively be imposed on the sleepy town. In a grim irony, less than a week later, the southern Irish state would issue a statement condemning the response of the Georgian government to protests against its Transparency of Foreign Influence law, the previous week’s scenes in Newtownmountkennedy being wilfully ignored by Leinster House.
The current tensions surrounding immigration in Ireland began in November 2022, when, using the Russian intervention in Ukraine as a pretext, upwards of 300 migrants were moved into a disused office block in East Wall, a working-class neighbourhood in inner city Dublin. Protests would begin immediately amongst local residents, citing the unsuitability of the location and the lack of consultation with community representatives beforehand. Similar protests would take place at other sites in Dublin and throughout Ireland.
One year later, the tensions regarding immigration policy in Ireland would explode in their most notable manner so far. On the 23rd of November 2023, three children and their teacher were stabbed outside their Gaelscoil (Irish-language school) in central Dublin. With it soon emerging that the attacker was an immigrant previously subject to a deportation order, matters would come to a head. Calls for a protest in Dublin later that night would quickly spread throughout social media, seemingly attracting an opportunistic element who would engage in looting and the burning of vehicles. The Dublin riots would gain worldwide attention, with the focus seemingly more on the damage done to outlets such as McDonald’s and Footlocker, than the attack on the children and their teacher.
In the days following the riots, Security Minister for the southern Irish state, Helen McEntee, announced that facial recognition technology laws would be introduced in response, thus revealing the true intent behind current immigration policy in Ireland. In addition to the devaluing of labour and the lowering of wages on behalf of industrialists, the mixing of vast amounts of people from different cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds that mass-immigration entails, ultimately leads to tensions. Tensions that, in tight-knit areas such as working-class neighbourhoods and small rural villages, will inevitably spill over.
Banners
https://twitter.com/i/status/1814741458429116638
Trump Elon
Trump today: “I love Elon Musk; Three years ago I’m watching TV and I see this rocket come down landing. No wings no nothing; It’s landing on a barge in the middle of the ocean; I’ve never seen that before. If that were government you wouldn’t see that for another 50-100 years.” pic.twitter.com/EPf2fKmyLE
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) July 20, 2024
Habanera
https://twitter.com/i/status/1814677376053154283
Cardinal
https://twitter.com/i/status/1814930162909155563
The boss
https://twitter.com/i/status/1814758453769887841
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