Vigilant News

Eternal Vigilance is the price of liberty.

Ron Desantis

Gavin Newsom Challenges Ron DeSantis to Debate on CNN After Months of Attacks, Political Ads

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This article contains the author’s opinion.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to a debate after months of accusations and name calling. 

When he’s not busy masterminding new ways to make California as unappealing as possible, Gavin Newsome has taken to a new hobby: publicly criticizing Ron Desantis. Instead of working to address the myriad issues in his own state, the California Governor has been paying for anti-Desantis political ads in Florida and has even gone so far as to slander the Florida Governor as “bigoted”, an altogether unsurprising and unoriginal tactic. 

The most recent episode of this weird publicity production saw Newsome asking the feds on Thursday to intervene and investigate DeSantis for “kidnapping” after DeSantis sent 50 illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, an elite vacation spot where former President Barack Obama owns a $15 million home.

Newsom wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, saying:  

“In particular, I urge US DOJ to investigate whether the alleged fraudulent inducement would support charges of kidnapping under relevant state laws, which could serve as a predicate offense for charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) provisions of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970,”

DeSantis fired back Friday against Newsom’s letter to Garland, saying, “I think his hair gel is interfering with his brain function.”

“So the governor of California sent a letter to the Department of Justice saying, ‘You need to prosecute Texas and Florida governors.’ And all I can say is, I think his hair gel is interfering with his brain function,”

Later that day, Newsome responded to Desantis’s quip by proposing that the two Governors debate each other before the midterm elections in November.  

Newsome also recently agreed to debate his Republican challenger in California’s gubernatorial election, state Sen. Brian Dahle.

“Yeah, happy to do it and we’ll do it just as we did the last time I ran for office,” Newsom said when asked about the possibility of a debate with Dahle. “So, I look forward to it.”

It is unclear whether or not Desantis is interested in the proposed public spectacle.

In the Wake: Ron DeSantis, Kari Lake, Others Respond to Raid on Mar-a-Lago – Epstein Confidant Signed Warrant

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President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago was raided by the FBI on Monday night. According to multiple mainstream media reports, the reason for the raid was that Trump allegedly brought classified information from the White House to Mar-a-Lago.

After the former president announced that his home was raided by the FBI, supporters of former President Donald Trump immediately began gathering outside of Mar-a-Lago. Footage of the crowds arriving circulated on social media, showing supporters honking horns and waving flags in support of the 45th president.

Attorney Alan Dershowitz noted that the raid seemed to be “misconduct.” 

“The raid is supposed to be a last resort. But this administration has used the weaponization of the justice system against its political enemies…This is improper, and this is misconduct.”

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has come to the defense of former President Donald Trump after the FBI raided his Florida Mar-a-Lago home.

“The raid of MAL [Mar-a-Lago] is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves… Now the Regime is getting another 87k IRS agents to wield against its adversaries? Banana Republic.”

Rand Paul chimed in as well, saying:

“The @FBI raid on President Trump was approved by Director Wray, who also claimed that the illegal FISA warrants used to spy on Trump were constitutional. Today’s raid is outrageous and unjust, but predictable.”

Candidate for Arizona Governor Kari Lake also expressed concern over the mass hire at the IRS:

Some Republicans are demanding that FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday to explain the Department of Justice’s actions in raiding former President Donald Trump.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the ranking minority member of the House Judiciary Committee, noted that the House would be in session on Friday to vote on the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” which passed the Senate on Sunday, that Wray and Garland should use the opportunity to appear before the committee on Friday to explain the extraordinary raid to Congress.

“This Friday, we’re going back to vote on this stupid bill … Merrick Garland, Chris Wray, come to the House Judiciary Committee this Friday and answer our questions about this action today, which has never happened in American history. … Why not talk to President Trump and have him give the information that you’re after? This is unbelievable, and understand the history here: One year ago it was Merrick Garland using the Patriot Act against parents. One day ago, it was 87,000 agents in a bill the Democrats passed to go harass Americans from the IRA. And today, we have the raid of a former president’s home? In America? So — heck, we deserve answers now, and this Friday would be a good time.”

This outcome seems unlikely, as the decision to ask Wray and Garland to testify would be up to committee chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

The Gateway Pundit is reporting that it was Judge Bruce E. Reinhart from the Southern District of Florida who reportedly signed off on the warrant to raid President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago on Monday night. This Judge has represented several of Jeffery Epstein’s employees in connection with the sex trafficking investigation against the financier.

The New York Post reported:

Sources tell The Post that Judge Bruce Reinhart approved the warrant that enabled FBI agents to converge on the palatial South Florida estate on Monday in what Trump called an “unannounced raid on my home.”

Reinhart was elevated to magistrate judge in 2018 after 10 years in private practice.

Months after his appointment, the Miami Herald reported that he had represented several of Epstein’s employees in connection with the sex trafficking investigation against the financier.

According to the paper, Reinhart resigned from the South Florida US Attorney’s Office effective on New Year’s Day 2008 and went to work for Epstein’s workers the following day. In 12 years as a federal prosecutor, according to his official biography, Reinhart “managed a docket that covered the full spectrum of federal crimes, including narcotics, violent crimes, public corruption, financial frauds, child pornography and immigration.”

Despite the raid, President Donald Trump released a new political video early Tuesday morning. You can watch the video HERE.

CPAC Straw Poll Determines Donald Trump Strongest Choice for President Among Conservatives

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The top choice among conservatives for president in 2024 was determined via straw poll this weekend at CPAC Dallas, and former President Donald Trump maintains a strong lead at 69%.  

Other polls conducted nationally are showing strong for Desantis, most of them having Desantis and Trump neck and neck. However, the poll conducted at CPAC shows him trailing Trump by less than half at 24%. The next in line behind Desantis is Ted Cruz with a meager 2%.

Liz Cheney sits with Chris Christy and Marco Rubio at 0%.

When asked whom people would prefer to see as President Trump’s Vice President pick in 2024, the poll shows DeSantis in the lead with 43%. Kristy Noem was a second-place pick with only 9%.

It is now more clear than ever that Donald Trump has the most energy behind a hypothetical albeit likely 2024 bid, but he has not yet officially announced whether he’ll be running. Trailing conservatives like Ted Cruz are going to “wait and see” whether Trump declares before making a decision on potentially running.

This straw poll comes after threats from the Republican establishment against Trump in what seems like a last-ditch effort to maintain control of the party. The GOP leadership has recently said that they will no longer pay for the former President’s legal fees if he announces that he’s running in 2024.

The Daily Mail reports:

Republicans will stop paying Donald Trump‘s legal expenses if he announces he’s running for president in 2024, according to a new report published on Thursday.

The Republican National Committee has shelled out millions of dollars to law firms representing the former president amid government investigations and probes of his business interests.

But officials also worry that Trump could hurt the party’s midterms prospects if he announces a presidential run before this year’s elections.

An RNC official told ABC News that Trump would lose financial support as soon as launch a campaign because of the party’s ‘neutrality policy’ that bars it from taking sides in primaries.

RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel spelled out the stance in an interview in January.

‘The party has to stay neutral,’ she said. ‘I’m not telling anybody to run or not to run in 2024.’

There has been a serious bifurcation in the Republican party since the advent of Donald Trump and others like him. His presidency lead to what’s being colloquially referred to as “America First” politicians, who claim to be decidedly separate from their “Rino” counterparts.