Mediaboss Marketing

Former Attorney General Bill Barr called the newest federal grand jury subpoenas probing the Jan. 6, 202, Capitol riot "a significant event," one that suggests that government prosecutors are probing high-ranking Trump administration officials and allies, and even former President Donald Trump.

"This suggests to me that they're taking a hard look at the group at the top, including the president and the people immediately around him who were involved in this," Barr told CBS News' Catherine Herridge in an interview Friday.

The grand jury has been meeting weekly; in late July, Marc Short, former Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, testified, and according to The Washington Post, Greg Jacob, Pence's chief counsel, was also interviewed by the grand jury.

The Justice Department's criminal investigation into Jan. 6 now includes questions for witnesses about the communications of people close to Trump and his reelection campaign, though it is not evident from CBS News' reporting that Trump himself is a target of the investigation only that that prosecutors have been asking questions related to him and his aides.

Barr also surmises that it looks like prosecutors are "going to try to get a ruling on the issue of executive privilege," given reportsby ABC News and other news outlets that former White House counsel Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury. The former attorney general noted that Cipollone, as then-counsel to the Office of the President, "has the strongest claim to executive privilege."

"That's sort of the biggest mountain for them to climb, and the fact that they lead off with that to me suggests that they want a definitive resolution not only on Cipollone but you know, this would affect [former White House chief of staff Mark] Meadows and some of the other people, too," he said.

Barr also spoke with Herridge about why he doesn't think Trump should be the 2024 GOP presidential nominee and why a possible prisoner swap with Russia is ill-advised.

Story continues

Watch more of Catherine Herridge's interview with former Attorney General Bill Barr on streaming on theCBS Newsapp at 7 p.m. ET.

Barr says Justice Department appears to be "taking a hard look" at Trump and his inner circle

Markets react to strong July jobs report

White House reacts to latest jobs report

Read more:
Barr says grand jury seems to be focusing on Trump and his inner circle - Yahoo! Voices

Conservatives applauded the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, which withdrew the federal right to an abortion.

Abortion opponents have claimed that Roe allowed "abortion on demand up to the moment of birth."

Doctors have pushed back, saying the claim "does not realistically reflect" American abortion care.

Before the Supreme Court eliminatedthe federal right to an abortion in the US, top conservatives long-claimed that the landmark ruling had allowed abortion "all the way up to the moment of birth."

Despite pushback from expert data and medical professionals, the claim "abortion until birth" has been parroted by abortion opponents for years and weaponized to limit abortion rights.

As Republicans work toward a nationwide abortion ban, doctors have warned that such rampant misinformation is "extremely pervasive" and not reality.

In 2016, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump popularized the narrative of doctors performing grisly abortions on full-term fetuses, which are defined by The National Institutes of Health as being 39-40 weeks gestation.

"In the ninth month, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby," Trump said in 2016 at the third presidential debateagainst Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. "You can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month, on the final day. And that's not acceptable."

Former Vice President Mike Pence echoed the claim in a 2020 debate against then-VP candidate Kamala Harris.

"I'm pro-life, I don't apologize for it," Pence said. "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris support taxpayer funding of abortion all the way up to the moment of birth."

The "abortion on demand" claim was repeated during a House hearing on access to abortion services in May. GOP Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana pressed Dr. Yashica Robinson, an obstetrician-gynecologist, on whether she supported abortion if a woman is "just seconds away" from birth, insisting that "it happens."

Story continues

"I think that the question that you're asking does not realistically reflect abortion care in the United States," Robinson said, adding that she wouldn't "entertain theoreticals."

Retired gynecologist Debbie McNabb dismissed these kinds of claims, saying medical emergencies may prompt a doctor to evacuate a fetus for the mother's safety, but "it's not the same as abortion that's allowed up to the moment of birth."

"Like, 'Oh, I'm going to file my fingernails and smoke a cigarette, and then I'll go in when I'm in labor and have an abortion.' That's just crazy, but that's what the Republicans are saying," McNabb told Insider. "'Abortion up to the moment of birth' is a complete falsehood."

Even as Republicans claim to be deeply concerned about "abortion all the way up to the moment of birth," nationwide data doesn't support their claims or reflect their alarm.

"In 2019, 79.3% of abortions were performed at [or before] 9 weeks' gestation, and nearly all (92.7%) were performed at [or before] 13 weeks' gestation," according to 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Just 1.1% of abortions occurred after 21 weeks gestation, per the 2019 data, which is still months away from the full-term definition of 39-40 weeks of gestation.

Following the overturn of Roe, Mallory Carroll, the communications vice president for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the "Democrat Party position" supported "abortion on demand up to the moment of birth."

In an email to Insider, a spokesperson for SBA Pro-Life America argued that "very late-term abortions are very much a reality in the United States," pointing to several reports of women receiving an abortion up to 35 weeks. "Late-term abortion" is a non-medical term that has been used to describe abortions that happen after 21-23 weeks of gestation.

In much of this "evidence," the reported fetuses had not reached full-term. In some cases, the safety of the mother or a fetal abnormality was noted.

One study cited by SBA which includes in-depth interviews with 28 cisgender women who had an abortion after 24 weeks noted that "most abortions in the United States take place in the first trimester of pregnancy."

"Abortions at later gestational durations are comparatively uncommon," the research says. The study also concluded that the cases of these 28 women "illustrate the impossibility of eliminating the need for third-trimester abortion." This was due, in part, to "obstacles to abortion," the research says.

Abortion rights demonstrators protest in response to the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022 in Washington, DC.Brandon Bell/Getty Images

McNabb previously told Insider that an abortion at full-term is a medical emergency, not an elective procedure.

"An abortion at term is a desired pregnancy in the context of an extremely dire emergency without sufficient time for a safe C-section when a woman would otherwise die," McNabb said. "This is a rare medical situation that no amount of medical information could inform a law-making body sufficiently for them to draft a specific law. This does not belong in the legal realm."

McNabb told Insider that physicians not lawmakers are trained to make high-stakes decisions for their patients in a medical emergency, and doctors will try to save the lives of both if they can.

"In obstetrics, unless the woman expresses otherwise, we never sacrifice the life of a woman for her fetus. Only a physician is capable of making this agonizing decision," McNabb said. "Lawmakers do not have the decision-making capacity in these gray areas of medicine and, therefore, should not insert themselves in this realm."

McNabb, who described misinformation surrounding abortion as "extremely pervasive," argued that it's used to "garner votes" around a deeply polarizing issue.

"Sadly, in today's political environment, politicians have learned that if they tell a lie early enough, loudly enough, frequently enough, and over a long period of time, people tend to believe these lies," McNabb said. "And, these politicians tell these terrible lies, not because they care about women, the fetuses they carry, or babies, but because these lies garner votes which maintain their personal positions, power, and wealth."

McNabb warned that if Republicans retake the majority in the House and the Senate in the 2022 midterms, "they will write legislation to declare that fertilized eggs are persons essentially, decreasing women's personhood significantly and institute a nation-wide abortion ban."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Excerpt from:
From Donald Trump to Mike Pence, the GOP parrots claims about 'abortions at the moment of birth' that experts call 'terrible lies' and a 'complete...

Former White House counselorKellyanne Conwaysaid that if former President Trump chooses not to run in the 2024 presidential election, he should put his support behind his former vice president, Mike Pence.

In an appearance on The Wall Street Journals Free Expression podcast published Tuesday, Conway told host Gerard Baker that Trump is absolutely the overwhelming prohibitive favorite if he decides to run for president.

Trumps former campaign manager added that its mainly because of his accomplishments and his fantastic job as president.

The Trump/Pence accomplishments are remarkable, and we can go through them. People dont seem to want to, but if he runs for president, hell be talking about that. If Mike Pence runs for president instead of Donald Trump, if Donald Trump says no, hell be talking about the Trump-Pence accomplishments, Conway added.

Conway said that voters already know what happened regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and despite that, hes beating Biden in these polls.

Hes beating all other Republican candidates among Republican primary voters, she added.

Conway said that the former president should support his vice president when asked if Trump would support Pence if he chooses not to run.

She added that if Trump decides not to run, he should think very deeply about supporting his vice president, because they were a magical, magnificent, marvelous team.

Conway also refuted reports that the former president stood by as Jan. 6 rioters called to hang Mike Pence after he refused to support efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

I think its really unfair for people to repeat that if hes denied it, and yet, just gloss right past four years worth of accomplishments that they did together.

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinsontestified during a hearingof the Jan. 6 House Committee last month that then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows described a conversation with the president on the day of the Capitol riot where he said Mike deserves it.

Trump, however, pushed back on these claims on his social media app Truth Social: I NEVER SAID, MIKE PENCE DESERVES IT (to be hung). Another made up statement by a third rate social climber!

Conway further blasted the House Jan. 6 Committee hearings and said that she didnt think it was particularly compelling.

The former Trump official said she had questions about the veracity of the former White House aides testimony, because Hutchinson kept saying the gist of it was, or they said something like.

That would never be able to pass in a court of law, she added.

More here:
Kellyanne Conway: Trump should think about supporting a Pence 2024 bid if he doesnt run - The Hill

WASHINGTON Each revelation in public testimony before the Jan. 6 committee has been more explosive than the last from former President Donald Trumps direct role in organizing fake electors to tirades that left ketchup oozing down a White House wall.

As the panel resumes its televised public hearings this week, lawmakers are focused on demonstrating how Trumps actions merged with and culminated in the violence at the Capitol.

Committee members say its easy to sum up everything thats been presented. He lost, he knew it and he embarked on an alternate effort to stay in power, said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., who is expected to lead questioning at an upcoming hearing.

But for those who havent watched every minute of the hearings and even for some who have it can be difficult to process all of the new information and keep it fresh as new bombshells drop. These are the key revelations so far.

Several of Trumps political advisers testified in clips played at committee hearings that they told him he had lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden.

Bill Stepien, who served as Trumps campaign manager, told investigators that he informed Trump on election night that he would be wrong to declare victory and that Trump dismissed his assertion in favor of adviser Rudy Giulianis unfounded and false claims that the election was riddled with fraud.

Jason Miller, another Trump adviser, testified that Giuliani was inebriated on election night, which Giuliani has disputed. Trumps camp split into two factions, with his main political aides forming what Stepien referred to as Team Normal and continuing to report to him that Biden had won.

William Barr, the attorney general until mid-December 2020, testified that he and Trump fought over Barrs public assertion that the Justice Department had found no grounds for claims of widespread election fraud. Barr, who ultimately resigned, told investigators that Trump was detached from reality if he believed the election was rigged.

Former Justice Department officials testified that Trump pressured them to reverse Barrs conclusion.

Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen, Trump told Justice officials on Dec. 27, according to notes kept by then-acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue.

Many details of Trumps campaign to pressure state officials to overturn the election results and appoint alternate electors were already publicly known before the committee began its work.

I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, Trump told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in a post-election phone call that is now the subject of a Georgia investigation, for example.

But testimony and documents produced by the committee revealed a much broader campaign by Trump and two of his lawyers Giuliani and John Eastman to stop valid electoral votes from being counted on Jan. 6.

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel testified in a pre-recorded deposition that Trump introduced her to Eastman over the phone and Eastman laid out a plan for the committee to help organize slates of what she called contingent electors in pivotal states where Trump lost.

Trump supporters in several closely contested states ultimately submitted documents signed by fake electors to the National Archives and tried to get them in Vice President Mike Pences hands to allow him to count those electors or at least throw the validity of the real electoral votes into doubt.

The committee showed a text-message exchange in which an aide to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., tried to arrange a meeting between the senator and Pence on Jan. 6 so that Johnson could give Pence bogus slates. A Pence aide nixed the idea. (Johnson has played down the import of the texts and said he wasn't involved in creating the slates).

Trump and his advisers viewed Jan. 6, when Pence would oversee the official count of electoral votes, as the last chance to keep Trump in power despite his defeat.

As Jan. 6 neared, Trumps team became increasingly resigned to the idea that Pence was the last man standing between Trump and more time in the Oval Office even though Pence had been advised, and believed, that he had no legal authority to do anything other than count the real electoral votes.

Trump planned to use a Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6 to rally his supporters to march to the Capitol, where he would join them, Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testified last week.

She said Giuliani told her four days before the rally, Were going to the Capitol. ... The president is going to be there. Hes going to look powerful.

When Hutchinson informed Meadows of the exchange, he replied, things might get real, real bad on Jan. 6," according to her testimony.

On Jan. 4, Eastman told Trump that there was no legal basis for Pence to interfere with the electoral-vote count, Pence counsel Greg Jacob testified. Still, Trump homed in on the vice president.

During a phone call the morning of the insurrection, Trump berated Pence and called him the 'p' word," according to recorded testimony from Julie Radford, who was an aide to Ivanka Trump.

The former president also put enormous public pressure on Pence by tweeting about him and invoking his role in the vote count repeatedly during his rally near the White House on the morning of Jan. 6.

At one point during his rally, Trump was told that some of his supporters were declining to come through magnetometers metal detectors because they were armed, Hutchinson testified.

I dont f---ing care that they have weapons, Trump railed, according to Hutchinsons testimony. Theyre not here to hurt me. Take the f---ing mags away.

Trump then urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, where extremist groups were waiting to be joined by the mob, and told them he would join them.

Hutchinson testified that Trump became irate when Secret Service officials told him they were driving him back to the White House rather than the Capitol after the rally. She testified that she was told he tried to take control of the steering wheel. A person close to the Secret Service previously confirmed that Trump was furious about not being driven to the Capitol, but said that the altercation Hutchinson described did not happen.

In trying to establish a pattern of outbursts, Hutchinson told a story about Trump flinging his lunch, leaving her and another White House staff member to clean ketchup off the wall.

At the Capitol on Jan. 6, insurrectionists attacked police officers and breached the building. Some of them chanted Hang Mike Pence, as rioters came within 40 feet of the man first in line to the presidency, according to the committee.

At the White House, Trump was informed that the Capitol was under attack and Pences life was in danger. Hutchinson testified that she was present for a conversation in which White House counsel Pat Cipollone tried to get Meadows to intervene.

You heard [Trump], Pat, Meadows said, according to Hutchinson. He thinks Mike deserves it.He doesnt think theyre doing anything wrong.

Read more from the original source:
Here are the major revelations from the Jan. 6 committee hearings so far - NBC News

What characteristics make a good leader? What characteristicsmake a good leader?

Annie, 27, Illinois, Leans Democrat

Aaliyah, 23, Florida, Independent

Barrett, 39, Texas, Leans Democrat

For all the attention Liz Cheney, Mike Pence and Cassidy Hutchinson have received recently, their acts of political bravery standing up to Donald Trump and facing threats to their safety and future as a result are hardly defining features of our current political moment. Bravery and courage are not only leadership traits seldom seen by Americans but also qualities subject to debate: By refusing to go along with Mr. Trumps subversion of the election, was Mr. Pence brave or simply doing his job? Is Ms. Cheney courageous in her pursuit of Mr. Trump, or is she thumbing her nose at the many Wyoming Republicans who elected her and still embrace him?

In our latest Times Opinion focus group, which took place before the July Fourth weekend, a mix of 10 Democrats, independents and Republicans said they were hungry for leadership. They admired people they saw as patriots, like Ms. Cheney, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and, in some cases, President Biden for making the hard call to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. But what several of them wanted leaders willing to tell hard truths, go against the grain, stand up for something unpopular seemed to them qualities belonging to past leaders: Winston Churchill, the suffragists, Moses. Still, they saw glimmers in politicians like Pete Buttigieg, Katie Porter and Joe Manchin, though Mr. Manchin divided the group sharply.

We wanted to understand how Americans saw political bravery and courage and who they saw displaying it in an era when political posturing, attacks and stunts are so much more common. The conversation ultimately turned back toward ourselves, with a Democrat from California arguing that Americans get the politicians they deserve that, in other words, if politicians today arent brave and courageous, it might be because we arent brave and courageous, either.

Mr. Healy is the deputy Opinion editor. Mr. Rivera is an editorial assistant in Opinion.

Barrett 39, Texas, White, Consultant, Leans Democrat

Aaliyah 23, Florida, Asian, Tech, Independent

Tiffany 30, Georgia, Black, Clothing Designer, Leans Democrat

Angel 25, Ohio, Asian, Engineer, Leans Republican

David 56, Massachusetts, White, Adminstrative Support, Independent

Annie 27, Illinois, White, Consultant, Leans Democrat

Susan 64, New Jersey, White, Retired, Independent

Jeremiah 47, Arizona, Black, Truck Driver, Independent

Roger 51, California, Black, Real Estate Broker, Leans Democrat

Barry 57, California, White, Retired, Independent

Moderator, Kristen Soltis Anderson

Who do you think of as a good leader?

Roger, 51, California, Black, Real Estate Broker, Leans Democrat

First person that comes to mind is Barack Obama.

Annie, 27, Illinois, White, Consultant, Leans Democrat

Angela Merkel.

David, 56, Massachusetts, White, Adminstrative Support, Independent

Barack Obama and the coach of my beloved Celtics, Ime Udoka.

Angel, 25, Ohio, Asian, Engineer, Leans Republican

Elon Musk.

Tiffany, 30, Georgia, Black, Clothing Designer, Leans Democrat

LeBron James.

Barry, 57, California, White, Retired, Independent

George W. Bush.

Jeremiah, 47, Arizona, Black, Truck Driver, Independent

The mayor of Long Beach, Robert Garcia. Hes wonderful, and he's coming up quickly on the platform.

Aaliyah, 23, Florida, Asian, Tech, Independent

Bill Gates.

Moderator, Kristen Soltis Anderson

What characteristics make a good leader?

Jeremiah, 47, Arizona, Black, Truck Driver, Independent

Effective communication.

Annie, 27, Illinois, White, Consultant, Leans Democrat

Compassion, understanding, being a servant leader.

David, 56, Massachusetts, White, Adminstrative Support, Independent

Honesty.

Aaliyah, 23, Florida, Asian, Tech, Independent

Consistency.

Roger, 51, California, Black, Real Estate Broker, Leans Democrat

Clear direction.

Barrett, 39, Texas, White, Consultant, Leans Democrat

Straightforward, no sugarcoating.

Tiffany, 30, Georgia, Black, Clothing Designer, Leans Democrat

Not being afraid of doing what is right, no matter what everyone else thinks.

Moderator, Kristen Soltis Anderson

How do you define bravery? What does it mean to be brave?

Susan, 64, New Jersey, White, Retired, Independent

You see a situation, have a solution, and you go and you do it. You pretty much do it without fear because you have a level of confidence that you know what youre doing.

Angel, 25, Ohio, Asian, Engineer, Leans Republican

Bravery is not being afraid to do something that you want to do. It does not necessarily have to be the right thing. Its just going for what you believe in, regardless of whos watching you.

Aaliyah, 23, Florida, Asian, Tech, Independent

Being someone whos able to confront things that other people arent able to confront.

Barrett, 39, Texas, White, Consultant, Leans Democrat

Being brave is being willing to stand up for someone else.

Jeremiah, 47, Arizona, Black, Truck Driver, Independent

I would include that you do what you do because you need to, you have to or you want to, regardless of those consequences.

Moderator, Patrick Healy

A show-of-hands question: Do you think American political leaders today are brave when it comes to making tough decisions? [Nobody raises a hand.]

David, 56, Massachusetts, White, Adminstrative Support, Independent

Do I think some politicians are brave? Yes. But overall, as a unit, I dont think politicians are very brave. I think theyre beholden to what or who theyre beholden to, regardless of whats best for their constituents.

Tiffany, 30, Georgia, Black, Clothing Designer, Leans Democrat

I dont think theyre brave. I just feel like there are a lot of things they should agree on that affect us no matter what. Its like our life is just a game to them.

Moderator, Patrick Healy

Is there an example of something, Tiffany, that you think they should be able to agree on that comes to mind?

Tiffany, 30, Georgia, Black, Clothing Designer, Leans Democrat

I mean, like, feeding kids in school for free. Why is that such a debate? I dont think there should be a debate. We should feed our kids at school.

Moderator, Patrick Healy

David made the point that some political leaders can be brave. Is there anyone who agrees with that, and does any politician come to mind?

Susan, 64, New Jersey, White, Retired, Independent

There are some political leaders who can be brave, but they are penalized, punished, demeaned and disgraced by their cohorts. Bravery is moot. If youre the only Republican and standing up for a Democratic proposal, youre sanctioned. Liz Cheney is a perfect example. She tried to stand up for what was right even though it was counter to what her party line was. And she was sanctioned because of it. That line that we all are afraid to cross doing whats right regardless of the cost stops a lot of people. But it also makes a lot of good people leave, which is another danger. If you want to affect change, you cant do it if you walk away.

Angel, 25, Ohio, Asian, Engineer, Leans Republican

Cheney stood up for what she believed in. And shes currently at a position where she has to face continued backlash from the politics environment. So I definitely think that shes brave.

Moderator, Kristen Soltis Anderson

Thats a good segue to our next question. Im going to give a couple of examples of actions, and with a show of hands, tell me if you consider those actions to be brave or not: If an elected leader holds a different point of view than most of the people in the state or district they represent, and they vote or act based on their principles rather than what the majority view is even if they know that it might be unpopular is that considered brave?

Is it brave if you vote or act in a way thatis based on your principles, even if it isunpopular with the people you represent? Is it brave if you vote or act ina way that is based on your principles, even if it is unpopularwith the people you represent? 6 people raised their hands.

Barrett, 39, Texas, Leans Democrat

Aaliyah, 23, Florida, Independent

Tiffany, 30, Georgia, Leans Democrat

Angel, 25, Ohio, Leans Republican

David, 56, Massachusetts, Independent

Annie, 27, Illinois, Leans Democrat

Susan, 64, New Jersey, Independent

Jeremiah, 47, Arizona, Independent

Roger, 51, California, Leans Democrat

Barry, 57, California, Independent

Moderator, Kristen Soltis Anderson

Annie, you did not put your hand up. Why?

Annie, 27, Illinois, White, Consultant, Leans Democrat

I think theres a difference between personal bravery and political bravery. For me, its not politically brave, because if its unpopular with your constituents, then that shouldnt be something that you vote for.

David, 56, Massachusetts, White, Adminstrative Support, Independent

If you stand for what you believe, even though the others in your group or the others in your party dont, then I think that shows some bravery.

Moderator, Kristen Soltis Anderson

See the rest here:
Opinion | From Biden to Cheney to Manchin, Are Politicians Brave Anymore? - The New York Times