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This 2021 Astros team deserves your respect, regardless of past

The Astros know many will associate the cheating scandal of the past to this current World Series team, but this team has already proven it doesn't need trash cans to reach a title.

USA TODAY

ATLANTA Former president Donald J. Trump, returning to a region that dealt him a bitterly contested defeat during his failed reelection bid in 2020, attended Game 4 of the World Series on Saturday night at Truist Park, taking part in the Atlanta Braves' controversial tomahawk chop moments before gametime.

He was seated in an open-air suite down the right field line at Truist Park, arriving in public view about 15 minutes before first pitch, standing for the national anthem alongside his wife, Melania.

Herschel Walker, the former Heisman Trophy winner whose bid for a Georgia senate seat is backed by Trump, was also in the suite.

Trump, who lost the state of Georgia by less than 12,000 votes and later pressured its secretary of state to "find him" the number of votes to put him over the top, returned to the World Series for the first time since October 2019, when he attended Game 5 at Washington's Nationals Park during his third year in office.Trump was roundly booed that evening after he was shown on the stadium's video board.

Georgia had not voted for a Democratic candidate since 1992 before now President Joe Biden captured 49.5% of the vote to Trump's 49.2%. In suburban Cobb County, to which the Braves moved in 2018 when they opened Truist Park, Biden received 56% of the vote to Trump's 42%.

Trump informed Major League Baseball he would be attending Game 4, club CEO Terry McGuirk told USA TODAY Sports before Game 2. The club did extend invites to currently elected officials from both major political parties.

Yet Trump released a statement that he was invited to Game 4 by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and club president Randy Levine "of the great New York Yankees."

An MLB spokesman deferred to McGuirk's previous statement and said the president requested to attend.

After Manfred's April decision to pullthe July All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of restrictive voting laws passed by the state of Georgia, Trump released a statement calling on supporters to "boycott baseball."

WORLD SERIES:Architects of both teams are at home,disgraced and out of the game

GEORGIA:Fall Classic in Atlantabecomes culture warbattlefield

"Baseball is already losing tremendous numbers of fans, Trump said in a statement, "and now they leave Atlanta with their All-Star Game because they are afraid of the radical left Democrats.

… Boycott baseball and all of the woke companies that are interfering with free and fair elections. Are you listening Coke, Delta and all?

Trump's World Series trip is among the more notable public appearances he's made as a former president, as he continues to stage rallies and raise money in advance of 2024. He has not announced whether he will seek election.

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World Series: Donald Trump does tomahawk chop at Game 4 in ...

Fundamentally, though, Youngkin did it his own way, not Trumps, and still turned out Trump voters in droves, while eroding Terry McAuliffes margins in areas where the Democratic advantage once seemed insurmountable. Youngkins path to victory was one that Trump himself or any of his epigones would have been incapable of, and Republican officials will duly take note, even if they dont explicitly say so.

For Trump, being radioactive had its uses it meant hed dominate news cycles, which he considered a good in and of itself, and bonded his base even more strongly to him. Youngkin thoroughly rejected this model. His approach from the beginning was to soften his image, assuming that base Republican voters would support him even if he was branded as a nice guy and voters otherwise not willing to listen to a Republican would give him a chance.

He was right.

Relatedly, Trump almost always eschewed unifying rhetoric unless giving a speech from a teleprompter. By inclination and design, he was fine with division so long as he could be assured that his people were with him. Youngkin couched his appeal in unifying rhetoric about bringing all Virginians together, on the common-sense assumption that it would make his candidacy and policy positions more acceptable to fence-sitters.

With all the focus on CRT, its easy to forget that exit polls showed that the economy was the top issue in the campaign. Youngkin emphasized the cost of living, and called for suspending an increase in the gas tax and ending the states grocery tax. According to the Washington Post, Youngkin won among voters who cared most about the economy, 55 percent-44 percent.

Youngkins approach here was entirely conventional. It ran in the well-worn, practical-minded tradition of how Republicans had won their last two gubernatorial victories in Virginia namely, Bob McDonnells Bobs for Jobs campaign in 2009 and Jim Gilmores campaign in 1997 promising to eliminate the personal property tax on automobiles.

It is undoubtedly true that Youngkin wouldnt have prevailed without hitting education hard, and that CRT is a winning cultural issue for the GOP. But Youngkins position on education was more complicated than commentators both celebrating and lamenting his victory sometimes acknowledge. What first brought education to prominence was widespread school closures during the pandemic, and a key part of Youngkins message was increasing educational standards and paying teachers more positions with obvious appeal to the center.

Nor is it the case that it is only because of Trump that the GOP has learned to fight on cultural terrain. The most successful Republican politicians, including even the patrician George H.W. Bush in his 1988 presidential campaign against Michael Dukakis, have always realized the power of running against cultural radicalism.

There is no doubt that Trump brought a new combativeness to the GOP, sensed a hunger among the partys voters for new departures on immigration and trade, and won the presidency in 2016 based on an electoral map few thought possible. But Trump has lived off the legend of 2016 only he knows how to win or fight, and he holds the key a working-class-based electoral coalition that no one else understands as instinctively or as well.

Trumps image as the wizard of winning was always doubtful. In 2016, some Republican Senate candidates notably outperformed him in their states. In 2020, Republican House candidates also outperformed Trump, not by enormous margins, but enough to make a difference. As Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution points out, if Trump had gotten the same number of votes in Georgia as Republican House candidates, he would have won the state by 16,000 voters, rather than losing it by 12,000, thus saving Sidney Powell the trouble of coming up with elaborate fantasies for why he lost and making the lives of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger much easier.

Trumps magic was to a large extent based on running against a very unpopular candidate, Hillary Clinton, and in a race where he could lean on the Electoral College. He never had to aim for 50 percent plus 1, but 47 percent and just the right breaks in the battleground states. This is not a sustainable or readily replicable model.

Now, Youngkin, who at the end of the day is a Glenn Youngkin Republican, exceeded Trumps 2020 margins in the reddest parts of Virginia. In Southside Virginia, Trump won by 22 points; Youngkin won by 36. In Southwest Virginia, Trump won by 45; Youngkin by 53. In the Shenandoah Valley, Trump won by 22; Youngkin by 33. In the Upper Tidewater, Trump won by 16; Youngkin by 28.

The danger to Trumps standing in the GOP isnt that hell be flatly repudiated or ever stop being popular, rather that hes no longer viewed as central or essential as he has been over the last five years.

Worried that hes not getting enough credit for Virginia, Trump said on Wednesday that theres no way Youngkin would have won without MAGA voters. True enough. Youngkin needed to get them out and did, without Trump campaigning for him and barely mentioning his name. Therein lies a tale.

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Opinion | Why Election Night 2021 Was Bad for Donald Trump - POLITICO

Bill McCann| Special to the Advertiser

Have you heard about TRUTH Social? No, it isnt a dating app for singles seeking an honest relationship. Its former President Donald Trumps newly announced venture to compete with social media giants like Twitter and Facebook. He hopes for a test launch this month and full rollout in 2022.

An angry Trump apparently cooked up the idea for his own social media network after being kicked off Twitter and Facebook following an insurrection by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Trump helped instigate the insurrection by spreading election-fraud lies.

In an announcement on Oct. 20, Trump said his social network would stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. The problem is to borrow a line from Jack Nicholsons character in the movie "A Few Good Men" Trump cant handle the truth. Trump used Twitter as a major megaphone of misinformation throughout his presidency. During Trumps four years in office, he made 30,573 false or misleading claims, according to Washington Post fact checkers.

Aside from the fact that the words truth and Trump dont belong in the same sentence, Trumps history of failed businesses does not bode well for his new venture. His companies have filed for bankruptcy six times. Plus, he has had a lengthy list of failures, including Trump Airlines, Trump Steaksand Trump Mortgage. Who would fly in a plane, buy meat or borrow money from this guy? And dont forget Trump University, his real estate training school that paid a $25 million settlement to duped students.

While TRUTH Social states it encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology, its terms of service prohibit users from using the platform to disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or the Site, National Public Radio reported. In other words, you can say any crazy thing you want as long as you dont diss Trump. Its the kind of free speech that only Trumpublicans could love.

One ominous sign for Trumps new social network occurred last spring when he yanked a blog called From the Desk of Donald J. Trump after only a month due to low readership. But some critics think that even if TRUTH Social doesnt resonate with social media users, he might enrich himself anyway. And thats always Trumps priority.

TRUTH Social will be the first product of a new company called Trump Media & Technology Group, which is merging with a special-purpose acquisition firm to form a publicly traded company. Critics suggest that if Trump can convince enough of his supporters to buy stock, he could end up with a pile of money.

In any event, Trump needs to find a better name for his new network. TRUTH Social is dull. It doesnt say what its really about. I asked a friend for ideas. Heres what we came up with to make it more appealing and accurate.

McCann is a contributing columnist for the Advertiser. He is a retired journalist and may be reached at Easywriter12345@yahoo.com.

Link:
Opinion: Donald Trump cant handle the truth - Austin American-Statesman

I think the key with Charles was that he was with him in 2016 and was aggressively on the cause, said American Conservative Union Chair Matt Schlapp, a prominent Trump supporter who is also supporting Herbster. Charles has been on the team the whole time, and not just in a small way but in a large way.

That was not the case for the Rickettses. During the 2016 GOP primary, Ricketts parents, Joe and Marlene, donated $5.5 million to a super PAC devoted to stopping Trump from winning the Republican nomination. Trump lashed out, tweeting that the family better be careful, they have a lot to hide!"

But the Ricketts family soon got on board. The day after Trump became the presumptive nominee, Pete Ricketts attended a rally in Omaha with the candidate, where the governor expressed his support. Joe Ricketts became a seven-figure donor to a pro-Trump super PAC. And after Trump won, he nominated Todd Ricketts, the governors younger brother, to become deputy commerce secretary. Todd Ricketts eventually withdrew his nomination but in 2018 was named Republican National Committee finance chair, with Trump personally involved in selecting him.

During Trumps 2020 reelection race, Joe and Marlene Ricketts gave $2.5 million to the pro-Trump America First Action super PAC, putting them among the groups biggest donors.

The 2022 governors contest emerged as a test of whether the Rickettses could leverage their recent alliance with Trump to stop Herbster. Nebraska Republicans trace the familys antipathy toward Herbster back to the 2014 governors race, when Herbster financed a Pete Ricketts opponent, Beau McCoy. The race got personal, with McCoy calling Ricketts a hypocrite for co-owning what McCoy described as the gay-friendly Chicago Cubs an apparent reference to Ricketts sister, Laura, who is a lesbian. (Herbster has said he didnt agree with McCoys criticism and denied that he had anything to do with it.)

The two squared off again in 2020, when Herbster, who owes his fortune in part to selling bull semen, bankrolled a state legislative candidate who waged a primary challenge against a Ricketts-appointed officeholder. The Ricketts-backed contender, Julie Slama, ultimately survived the hard-fought contest, but the governors orbit remembered Herbsters involvement.

Charles Herbster speaks to supporters at the Heartland Country Barn in Fremont, Neb. | Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP Photo

Tensions quickly boiled over as the 2022 governors race got underway. After Herbster launched his campaign this spring, the term-limited governor publicly came out in opposition. Meanwhile, a top Ricketts political adviser, Jessica Flanagain, took a job with a Herbster primary opponent, Jim Pillen, leading to speculation that the governor was picking sides in the primary.

But the most dramatic turn came two months later, in late June, when Ricketts attended an RNC-hosted donor retreat at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Dana Point, Calif.

After delivering a headline speech, the governor ran into Kellyanne Conway, a former Trump adviser who is working for Herbster. A heated exchange over the Nebraska race ensued.

According to a person familiar with the interaction, Conway approached Ricketts and complimented him on his remarks and his education policies. She also mentioned that she and the governor would be on different sides of the race to succeed him.

Conway who has previously worked with the Ricketts family on political projects and, during the 2016 election, set up a meeting between the Ricketts family and Trump later relayed to others that she was surprised by what she described as Pete Ricketts aggressive tone and vitriol toward Herbster during the conversation.

What I thought was a polite acknowledgement quickly devolved into what I realize was not a philosophical or political difference with Gov. Ricketts toward Charles Herbster, but rather a personal one, Conway said in a statement.

She added: While I wont disclose details of a private conversation, I was shocked because I have long respected the Ricketts family and helped broker the peace between Joe Ricketts, Todd Ricketts, and Donald Trump in the fall of 2016, inviting them to the private residence in Trump Tower.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts speaks to former President Donald Trump during a meeting. | Chris Kleponis - Pool/Getty Images

A Ricketts spokesperson, Corben Waldron, said that the governor has no personal issue at all with Herbster, but acknowledged that Ricketts in an honest and pointed conversation did outline multiple reasons why he believes Herbster is ill-suited to be governor of Nebraska. Ricketts has accused Herbster of, among other things, shipping jobs out of state through his company, a charge Herbster has denied.

The bad blood persisted. A week later, on July 2, Herbster met with Ricketts at the governors mansion a moment that could have thawed the relationship. Instead, two people familiar with the sit-down described it as tense and abrupt, lasting a mere six minutes. Herbster had requested the meeting months earlier, and upon sitting down was asked by Ricketts what he wanted to discuss. Herbster talked about his campaign and insisted his goal hadnt been to hurt Ricketts in the 2014 race. The governor tersely thanked Herbster for coming in, and the meeting was over.

It was around that time that Ricketts phoned Trump and asked him not to endorse Herbster. As he pondered what to do, the former president began asking senior Republicans how the Ricketts familys and Herbsters donation records stacked up against each other.

In mid-October, Trump called Todd Ricketts to ask for his opinion. Ricketts, who as an RNC official is reluctant to explicitly take sides in primaries, urged the former president to remain neutral for the time being, according to two people familiar with the discussion. The younger Ricketts argued that the field of candidates could still grow, pointing out that former GOP Gov. Dave Heineman may launch a comeback bid.

Todd loves his brother Gov. Ricketts and respects President Trump, but as RNC finance chairman he stays out of Republican primaries, a Todd Ricketts spokesperson said.

Within Nebraska Republican circles, speculation swirled that the Rickettses had quashed any prospect that Trump would endorse Herbster.

Kellyanne Conway talks with reporters outside the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo

But in October, Herbster and Conway quietly ventured to Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida to meet with the former president. Those familiar with the sit-down said it stretched on for several hours and ultimately sealed Trumps decision to endorse the candidate. Conway, who was Trumps 2016 campaign manager, was regarded as instrumental in swaying Trumps decision.

Those in the Ricketts camp say they never dismissed the possibility that Trump could endorse Herbster, but they were still taken aback. A few hours after Trump made his announcement supporting Herbster, the governor released a statement saying that while I agree with President Trump on many things, I strongly disagree that Charles Herbster is qualified to be our next governor.

The next day, Herbster fired back with a statement of his own, going after Ricketts for his familys past opposition to Trump and savaging the governor for personally attacking me and President Trump's endorsement.

Trump has privately stood by his endorsement. During a conversation with advisers a few days after his announcement, the former president spoke about how Pillen, the Herbster primary rival who is widely perceived to be a Ricketts favorite, didnt vote for him in the 2016 presidential primary.

Its not as bad as voting for Hillary, but he wasnt with me, one person with direct knowledge of the conversation quoted Trump as saying.

(Pillen has said he voted for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 general elections.)

Nebraska Republicans predict that Trumps endorsement could play a major role in the primary and vault Herbster into serious contention. The former president, who won Nebraska by nearly 20 points in 2020, remains a popular figure in the state.

But Ricketts may not be done yet. The governor and his family have a long history of investing in Nebraskas political battles, and they could spend heavily in the hope of preventing Herbster from winning the nomination.

Theyve always been able to support financially candidates of their choice, said former Nebraska GOP Rep. Hal Daub. Certainly, if the family decided to weigh in financially on the race, I think that would be influential.

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Trump, the billionaire family and the bull semen baron who divides them - POLITICO

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, personal attorney to U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 7, 2020.

Eduardo Munoz | Reuters

Rudy Giuliani, who served as personal lawyer for former President Donald Trump, so far is seeking to prevent prosecutors from seeing just three items out of the more than 2,000 contained on some of the electronic devices seized from him as part of a criminal probe, a court filing revealed Tuesday.

Giuliani is claiming that those three items are protected by attorney-client privilege, which would prevent them from being given to federal prosecutors, according to Barbara Jones, the so-called special master who is adjudicating such claims.

"I am reserving decision on those three items," Jones wrote in her filing in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. "The remaining 2,223 items have been released to the Government."

The items were contained on seven of the 16 devices seized under search warrants executed at Giuliani's Manhattan apartment and office in April. Jones is reviewing the remaining nine devices, so Giuliani could end up making more claims of privilege.

All of the items reviewed so far were created on or after Jan. 1, 2018, according to Jones.

Jones wrote that she has assigned "additional documents for review" to Giuliani's lawyers, and that she expects to be told by them by Friday what additional items they claim are privileged.

"It's a tedious but very important process that we're all going through, and we are making every effort to adhere to Judge Jones' timeline," Giuliani's attorney, Arthur Aidala told CNBC.

Giuliani is a former mayor of New York City. He also served as the top federal prosecutor in the same office that is now investigating him.

Investigators are known to be probing Giuliani's dealings in Ukraine, where he had worked to dig up politically damaging material on Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Trump was impeached in the House in 2019 on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his own efforts to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelinsky to announce an investigation into the Bidens.

Joe Biden, who at the time was the Democratic front-runner in the 2020 presidential race, defeated Trump last year.

Giuliani's lawyer Robert Costello said the search warrants were related to allegations that Giuliani had failed to register as a foreign agent,the Associated Press reported.

At the same time they raided Giuliani's location, investigators also executed a search warrant at the Washington-area home of Victoria Toensing, a Republican lawyer and Giuliani associate.

Toensing has represented Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash, the subject of an indictment in the U.S.

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U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in May appointed Jones to screen materials related to Giuliani, Toensing and Firtash for possible privilege claims before the items were turned over to prosecutors.

Jones in her filing Tuesday said that prosecutors have provided seized material from one device seized from Toensing.

"Mr. Firtash's counsel will be conducting the review of Seized Materials related to Ms. Toensing's representation of Mr. Firtash," Jones wrote.

Jones also said that she will speak with Toensing's lawyers to determine whether they plan to review the remaining material on the device for privileged information.

In 2018,Jones was appointed special masterto sift through materials seized from Michael Cohen, who at that time was Trump's personal lawyer.

She found thatfew of those documents qualified for privilegefrom prosecutorial review.

Cohen later that year pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, to financial crimes, and to facilitating hush money payments to two women who claim to have had sex with Trump.

Before entering prison, Cohen testified before the House Oversight Committee that Trump was a racist and accused him of a range of wrongdoing.

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Trump ally Rudy Giuliani seeks to block feds from getting 3 items of thousands seized under search warrant - CNBC