Trump lawyers move to dismiss Jack Smith 2020 election charges, claim he was unlawfully appointed
Lawyers for former President Trump filed a motion on Thursday to dismiss charges related to the 2020 election brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith, claiming he was unlawfully appointed, Fox News Digital has learned. Trump lawyers were successful in arguing that Smith was unlawfully appointed in his separate case against the former president related to classified records. JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP’S FLORIDA CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida Aileen Cannon in July granted Trump’s request to dismiss the classified records charges, to which he pleaded not guilty, due to the “unlawful appointment and funding of Special Counsel Jack Smith.” Trump attorneys on Thursday filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Tanya Chutkan is presiding over the case. “President Donald J. Trump respectfully requests leave to file this proposed motion to dismiss the Superseding Indictment and for injunctive relief—which is timely and, alternatively, supported by good cause—based on violations of the Constitution’s Appointments and Appropriations Clauses,” the filing states. The Appointments Clause says, “Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States be appointed by the President subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, although Congress may vest the appointment of inferior officers in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” Smith, however, was never confirmed by the Senate. TRUMP BLASTS DOJ FOR ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE,’ CALLS JACK SMITH CASE A ‘SCAM’ AFTER JUDGE UNSEALS KEY FILING “The proposed motion establishes that this unjust case was dead on arrival— unconstitutional even before its inception,” the Trump filing states. Trump lawyers argued that in November 2022, Attorney General Merick Garland “violated the Appointments Clause by naming private-citizen Smith to target President Trump, while President Trump was campaigning to take back the Oval Office from the Attorney General’s boss, without a statutory basis for doing so.” “Garland did so following improper public urging from President Biden to target President Trump, as reported at the time in 2022, and repeated recently by President Biden through his inappropriate instruction to ‘lock him up’ while Smith presses forward with the case unlawfully as the Presidential election rapidly approaches,” the filing states. Trump lawyers were referring to comments made by President Biden this week, in which he said: “we got to lock him up,” Biden said of Trump. However, the president quickly added, “Politically lock him up, lock him out. That’s what we have to do.” But Trump lawyers argued that “everything that Smith did since Attorney General Garland’s appointment, as President Trump continued his leading campaign against President Biden and then Vice President Harris, was unlawful and unconstitutional.” TRUMP ATTORNEYS ARGUE JACK SMITH’S OBSTRUCTION CHARGES BE DISMISSED CITING SUPREME COURT’S ‘FISCHER’ DECISION Trump attorneys argued that Smith violated the Appropriations Clause, saying he relied on an appropriation “that does not apply in order to take more than $20 million from taxpayers—in addition to Smith improperly relying on more than $16 million in additional funds from other unspecified ‘DOJ components’—for use in wrongfully targeting President Trump and his allies during the height of the campaign season.” Trump attorneys argue that Smith “was not appointed ‘by Law,’” and argue that he “has operated with a blank check by relying on an inapplicable permanent indefinite appropriation that was enacted in connection with a reauthorization of the Independent Counsel Act in 1987.” “Smith was not appointed pursuant to that Act, which expired in 1999. The appropriation contemplates the possibility of appointment by some ‘other law,’ but no ‘other law’ authorized Smith’s appointment,” the attorneys continue. “The appropriation also requires that the prosecutor be “independent,” in the very particular, rigorous sense that attorneys appointed pursuant to the defunct Independent Counsel Act were meant to be independent.” They added: “That is not true of Smith’s appointment, either.” “For these reasons, Smith should have never been permitted to access these huge sums of money, and his use of this funding violated the Appropriations Clause,” the filing states. “Based on these violations of the Appointments and Appropriations Clauses, the Superseding Indictment should be dismissed with prejudice. In addition, an injunction against additional spending by Smith is necessary to prevent ongoing irreparable harm and to ensure complete relief for the Appropriations Clause violation.” Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. A spokesperson for Special Counsel Jack Smith declined to comment when reached by Fox News. Smith has until Halloween, Oct. 31, to file his response. The Supreme Court earlier this year ruled that a president is immune from prosecution for official acts. Smith was then required to file another indictment against Trump, revising the charges in an effort to navigate the Supreme Court ruling. The new indictment kept the prior criminal charges but narrowed and reframed the allegations against Trump after the high court’s ruling that gave broad immunity to former presidents. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the new indictment as well. Trump, in an interview this week with Hugh Hewitt, said he would immediately fire Smith if elected.
Montana Senate race shatters spending records at $309 per registered voter
The 2024 Montana Senate race has shattered spending records with $309 spent per registered voter, a Fox News Digital breakdown of election finance records found. All eyes are on Montana this cycle, and whether Democratic Sen. Jon Tester can survive his re-election bid against Republican challenger Tim Sheehy in a red state won by former President Trump in 2016 and 2020. Tester has outspent his Republican opponent this cycle, spending $69.6 million with about $7.4 million cash on hand, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) from September. Filings show Sheehy, a Navy SEAL and first-time Senate candidate, reported spending about $19.7 million during the same period this cycle. MONTANA SENATE RACE, WHICH COULD DETERMINE MAJORITY, SEEING ‘INTENSE GROUND GAME OPERATION’: NRSC CHAIRMAN Super PACs and outside groups have played a significant role in Montana advertising as Democrats pour money into a state where their majority in the Senate hangs in the balance. Outside spending on the race totals about $154 million, according to a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings. Breaking down the numbers per candidate, outside groups spent about $61.1 million against Tester, while $15.8 million was dropped in support of his re-election bid. Sheehy has faced $59.5 million in spending against his campaign, while $17.7 million was spent to help him unseat the three-term Democrat. Total spending on the campaign, including contributions from outside groups, has reached approximately $243.3 million to date. There are 786,365 registered voters in Montana, according to the Montana Secretary of State, meaning the average spent per vote on the Senate race is about $309 per registered voter. The race has seen a massive influx of funding from prominent billionaires such as George Soros and the Koch brothers, who founded and fund Americans for Prosperity Action. Other players in Montana include a $29 million investment from the Last Best Place PAC, $20 million from the Senate Leadership Fund and a $20 million investment from American Crossroads. Other prominent Senate races have seen more spending this cycle, but their higher populations disperse the funds more widely on a per-voter basis. For example, more than $363 million has been spent on the Ohio Senate race this cycle, but with 8,159,880 registered voters, per the secretary of state’s office, the spending amounts to about $44 per registered voter. If the equivalent amount of money spent per registered voter in Montana was applied to the Senate race in Ohio, it would total over $2.5 billion. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the National Republican Senatorial Committee chair, told Fox News Digital the spending is a reflection of the national implications of the race. “On a per capita basis, Montana is in its league because we only have a little over a million people. And so we have a lesser populated state with spending numbers that are equivalent to other large races in states like Michigan, like Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada,” Daines told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I think it highlights the importance of Montana because Tim Sheehy’s victory is the 51st seat for the United States Senate. This is what secures the majority for the Republicans and takes the gavel out of Chuck Schumer’s hands. And that’s why there’s so much focused attention on this race.” Despite being outspent, the latest polling from The New York Times shows Sheehy leading Tester by eight points.
Ohio secretary of state sues Biden administration for ‘obstructing’ removal of non-citizen registered voters
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sued President Biden’s administration on Thursday, accusing officials of “obstruction and outright abuse of power.” The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Southern District of Ohio, says the Department of Homeland Security refused on multiple occasions to grant access to federal records that are “necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting.” LaRose’s office has conducted a rolling audit of the state’s voter rolls ahead of Election Day, and he has previously told Fox News Digital that state-level records can only take the process so far. “I swore an oath to uphold our state constitution, and that document clearly requires that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections,” LaRose said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris Administration is engaging in obstruction and outright abuse of power to prevent us from removing non-citizens from our voter rolls. I take my duty seriously, so if they want a fight over the integrity of our elections, they’ve got it.” The lawsuit claims there were four instances in which Ohio’s requests for access to federal records were denied. Ohio’s audit relies on analysis and cross-checks against records provided by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the DHS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, the Social Security Administration, federal jury pool data and other resources. DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST BOASTS PARTY FOUGHT TO UNDERMINE ‘DANGEROUS’ THIRD-PARTY THREAT TO BIDEN While LaRose’s office can access the SAVE database, states using it have to pay $1.50 for each query for records, and finding the information required to properly search the data is cumbersome, LaRose says. HARRIS REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM TRUMP WANTS TO ‘BAN’ ABORTION The data the Biden administration is refusing to share would provide a more comprehensive picture of how many non-citizens remain registered to vote in Ohio, LaRose says. “While the administration is blocking access to these records, the Department of Justice is suing or threatening to sue multiple states, including Ohio, who are trying to enforce their citizenship voting requirements,” LaRose added. “It’s hardly a coincidence. The same administration that’s presided over the most reckless, porous immigration policy in our country’s history is also intentionally blocking states from protecting the integrity of their elections.” CNN COMMENTATOR SCORCHES DEMS BLAMING TRUMP AT DNC: ‘SHE’S IN THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW’ In August, LaRose’s office referred 138 non-citizen registered voters to the state’s attorney general. That group came as part of 597 non-citizen voters who were removed from the state’s rolls. LaRose’s audit has also purged roughly 155,000 voter registrations that were confirmed to be abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years.
Jamie Dimon walks political tightrope, may be considering Harris cabinet position: report
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon reportedly said he was considering a position in a potential Harris administration, but sources close to the banking magnate argued that was not the case. The New York Times reported this week that Dimon confided in three people close to him that he was considering taking a role if tapped by Vice President Kamala Harris to serve in her administration. A position as treasury secretary could reportedly be a possibility. However, another source close to Dimon said that while he would accept a call from either presidential candidate if they were to win, and wouldn’t dismiss a role in either potential administration if it were offered to him, Dimon has made no decisions and does not even see it as likely that he will be offered a cabinet position from Harris or former President Trump. RFK JR DENIES REPORT THAT HE ASKED FOR POSITION IN HARRIS CABINET During the months leading up to the Nov. 5 presidential election, Dimon has taken steps to remain politically neutral in the public eye. After praising some of Trump’s policies in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, critics began slamming him as a Trump supporter. However, Dimon’s representatives were quick to note that his praise did not amount to support for him. Earlier this month, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Dimon had endorsed him, but, once again, the claim was refuted by Dimon’s representatives. When it comes to endorsing or supporting Harris, Dimon has not done that, either. The Times reported that in private conversations with bank executives who do support Harris, the JPMorgan CEO has said he has a duty to shareholders not to put his company in the crosshairs of any politician who may want to retaliate. Ahead of the Times’ article this week that indicated Dimon was considering a role in a potential Harris administration, he was asked during an earnings call earlier this month whether he would consider serving in the next president’s administration. Dimon responded that he “probably” would not, but left the door open if he does get asked. TULSI GABBARD SAYS SHE WOULD BE ‘HONORED’ TO JOIN A POTENTIAL TRUMP ADMINISTRATION “I think the chance of that is almost nil and I probably am not going to do it, but I’ve always reserved the right,” Dimon said during the call. “I don’t make promises to people. I don’t have to. But no, I love what I do. I intend to be doing what I’m doing. I almost guarantee I’ll be doing this for a long period of time or at least until the board kicks me out.” In late June, Trump told Bloomberg he would consider Dimon as a potential treasury secretary but later backtracked on the claim. “He is somebody that I would consider, sure,” Trump said during the interview. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to both the Trump and Harris campaigns to see where the candidates’ stand on Dimon today, but a response was not received by publication time.
China going after down-ballot races: report reveals which lawmakers are in their crosshairs
U.S. adversaries are ramping up their election-interference efforts, and China is going after anti-CCP down-ballot Republicans, according to a new report by Microsoft. Russia, meanwhile, is continuing to smear Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign with fake videos, and Iranian actors have been eyeing up election-related websites and mainstream media outlets. Some of the misinformation campaigns pick up little traction, while others are amplified by thousands of unwitting Americans. “With a particular focus on the 48 hours before and after Election Day, voters, government institutions, candidates, and parties must remain vigilant against deceptive and suspicious activity online,” Microsoft said in its election report. Iran, last week, built a fake online persona known as “Bushnell’s Men” calling on American voters to sit out the election due to both candidates’ support of Israel’s military operations, the report found. Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn is running for re-election with a safe double-digit lead over her Democratic opponent. And yet China has deployed influence actors to go after her online due to her efforts to ban TikTok and combat the CCP. PUTIN WELCOMES IRAN, INDIA, CHINA TO BRICS SUMMIT TO DISCUSS ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’ TO CHALLENGE THE WEST In addition to Blackburn, China has taken a particular interest in three Republicans: Reps. Michael McCaul, Texas, Barry Moore, Ala., and Marco Rubio, Fla. “This is nothing new. I’ve been informed before about China trying to carry out a malign influence campaign against me,” Blackburn told Fox News Digital. “China gets upset with me because I believe that you’ve got China trying to spy on our citizens,” she went on. “You have them pushing danger and harm toward our children. They do not keep their trade agreements when it comes to agricultural products and manufactured goods. And I speak out about this. I felt like the Biden administration has treated China like they’re a friend or a business partner.” The report found that in late September, Chinese actor Taizi Flood launched an online campaign criticizing Blackburn and promoting her opponent, state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Tenn. One Flood post claimed that Blackburn “took $700,000 from opioid companies,” referring to her campaign donations from pharmaceutical companies. The CCP is also going after McCaul by accusing him of “abusing power for personal gain.” CCP-linked online posts accused McCaul of insider trading and pushing controversial bills. McCaul was sanctioned by China in 2023 after a visit to Taiwan. Flood-linked accounts also went after Moore, criticizing him for his support for Israel, with antisemitic language, according to the report. Unlike the Blackburn posts, Flood’s attacks on Moore picked up steam online and were further amplified by other Flood assets. CHINA HOLDS LIVE-FIRE DRILLS NEAR TAIWAN, IN ANOTHER SHOW OF FORCE Flood accounts attacked Rubio, who is not up for re-election, by accusing him of corruption. Microsoft has tracked influence operations surrounding Rubio since 2022. Russia, China and Iran have all denied claims that they meddle in U.S. political affairs. Blackburn, who has been pushing for passage of her kids’ online safety bill and has long called for the banning of TikTok, called the popular video-sharing platform a “spy mechanism.” “What they’re doing is building a database for every one of our children who are on — and adults, too — that platform, and they are using this to be able to track you, to monitor you, to control what you see, what you say, what you hear, what you think and ultimately how you vote.” If Republicans take power in the November elections, Blackburn said she would push for them to ban all Confucius Institutes, or higher education centers run by CCP-affiliated scholars, hold China “accountable for their role in pushing fentanyl on our people” and recognize Taiwan’s independence from China. The U.S. does not formally support or recognize Taiwan’s independence, though it arms the tiny island democracy against an encroaching Chinese military presence.
Harris entertains Supreme Court-packing question during town hall, supports ‘some kind of reform’
Vice President Kamala Harris declared she’s open to “some kind of reform” of the Supreme Court when asked during a CNN town hall if she would support expanding the number of justices to 12. “There is no question that the American people increasingly are losing confidence in the Supreme Court and, in large part, because of the behavior of certain members of that court and because of certain rulings, including the Dobbs decision and taking away a precedent that had been in place for 50 years, protecting a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body,” Harris said during Wednesday night’s event. “So, I do believe that there should be some kind of reform of the court, and we can study what that actually looks like.” Harris’ remarks come after she did not rule out potentially packing the Supreme Court in 2019 when she sought the party’s nod to face President Trump in the 2020 election. SQUAD MEMBER CALLS FOR ‘RADICALLY’ CHANGING THE SUPREME COURT: ‘SCOTUS REFORM IS ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER’ Harris reiterated several times during her previous campaign that she wasn’t opposed to a Supreme Court expansion, which would theoretically allow liberal justices to take on a majority role through new appointments. “I’m open to this conversation about increasing the number of people on the United States Supreme Court,” Harris once told voters in Nashua, New Hampshire, after a question was posed to her about adding up to four seats to the high court, according to Bloomberg. HARRIS’ ‘MIXED MESSAGES’ ON NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION COULD COST HER PIVOTAL PENNSYLVANIA Trump had tweeted in 2020 that “FDR’s own party told him you cannot PACK the United States Supreme Court, it would permanently destroy the Court.” Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
Harris cites Trump more than two dozen times while pressed for policy issues in CNN town hall
Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned former President Trump by name more than two dozen times during her CNN town hall on Wednesday, including when pressed about specific policies she would institute if elected to the White House. Fox News found that during the CNN town hall in Chester, Pennsylvania, Harris mentioned Trump by name 26 times, while Trump was mentioned overall by moderator Anderson Cooper or audience members a total of 43 times. The CNN town hall kicked off at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and wrapped up around 10:15 p.m. Harris was pressed on issues such as her border policies the last three and a half years as vice president, and how she would tackle immigration differently if she was elected president. At one point, Cooper pressed Harris on her support of a bipartisan bill that would provide funding for a border wall that she previously lambasted as a “stupid” idea when promoted by Trump during his administration. “Let’s talk about this compromise bill that you want to pass if you are elected. You said that’s going to be a priority. It includes $650 million in funding for the border wall. That’s something Republicans wanted, that was part of the compromise. Under Donald Trump, you criticized the wall more than 50 times. You called it ‘stupid, useless, and a medieval vanity project.’ Is a border wall stupid?,” Cooper asked Harris. ‘ADMIRES DICTATORS’: HARRIS CONTINUES COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER DURING BATTLEGROUND STATE TOWN HALL Harris pivoted from directly answering the question to citing Trump. “Let’s talk about Donald Trump and that border wall,” Harris said while laughing. “So remember, Donald Trump said Mexico would pay for it. Come on, they didn’t. How much of that wall did he build? I think the last number I saw was about 2%. And then when it came time for him to do a photo op, you know, where he did it? In the part of the wall that President Obama built.” “So you don’t think it’s stupid anymore?” Cooper later asked. HARRIS DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘FASCIST’ COMMENTS AT START OF CNN TOWN HALL: ‘UNSTABLE’ “I think what he did and how he did it was, did not make much sense because he actually didn’t do much of anything. I just talked about that wall, right? We just talked about it. He didn’t actually do much of anything,” she responded, not citing Trump by name, but referring to his leadership as president. At another point, Cooper asked Harris about her plans to tackle reported price gouging by corporations, with Harris answering that she “took this issue on” when she served as California attorney general before admonishing Trump for not attending the town hall. CNN held the town hall after proposing a second presidential debate between Harris and Trump for Oct. 23. Harris accepted the debate, but Trump declined, spurring the network to host a town hall instead. HARRIS LIKENS TRUMP TO HITLER IN SCATHING REMARKS, SAYS HE WANTS SAME MILITARY LOYALTY AS GERMAN DICTATOR “By the way, again, Donald Trump should be here tonight to talk with you and answer your questions. He’s not, he refused to come. But understand that part of his plan is to put in place a national sales tax of at least 20% on everyday goods and necessities, and that, by economist estimates — independent economists — would cost you, as the American consumer and taxpayer, an additional $4,000 a year,” Harris claimed. Harris was also asked about codifying Roe v. Wade, which sparked the vice president to again attack Trump while signaling support to end the filibuster. “You’ve talked about codifying Roe v Wade. That would require 60 votes in the Senate, a majority of the House. That’s a big— that’s a big leap. We don’t have that yet. If that’s not possible to codify it in the House, what do you do?” Cooper asked. “I think we need to take a look at the filibuster, to be honest with you. But the reality of it is this, let’s talk about how we got here. When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v Wade,” she said. “And they did as he intended. And now, in 20 states, we have abortion bans.” HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: NEW NATIONAL POLL SHOWS WHO HAS THE EDGE 2 WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY Harris was directly asked about Trump a handful of times during the debate — with her answers included in the total count of 26 Trump mentions — most notably when Cooper asked her about an X post comparing Trump to Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler. Earlier Wednesday, former Trump administration chief of staff John Kelly claimed to the media that Trump praised “Hitler’s generals” for their loyalty, which Harris repeated in an X post that day. “If the president of the United States, the commander in chief, is saying to his generals, in essence, ‘Why can’t you be more like Hitler’s generals?’ Anderson, come on. This is a serious, serious issue. And we know who he is. He admires dictators, sending love letters back and forth with Kim Jong Un,” Harris said at one point. She also told Cooper that she believes Trump is a “fascist.” HARRIS STUMBLES ON THE BORDER WHEN PRESSED ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ‘IS A BORDER WALL STUPID?’ Harris sat down last week for her first interview with Fox News since rising to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Biden dropped out of the race in July amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity and age. During that interview, Harris cited Trump by name 23 times. “More than 70% of people tell the country is on the wrong track. They say the country is on the wrong track. If it’s on the wrong track, that track follows three and a half years of you being vice president and President Biden being president. That is what they’re saying, 79%
Harris dodges border wall question, blames Trump despite record numbers on her watch
Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday dodged a question about whether her administration would continue the construction of a wall along the southern border, as illegal immigration and the border policies of the Biden administration continue to rank among the top issues for voters. Harris was speaking to reporters when she was asked about the barrier construction, which was brought up during a CNN town hall meeting in the swing state of Pennsylvania Wednesday. “I will tell you that my highest priority is to put the resources into ensuring that our border is secure, which is why I’ve been very clear. I’m going to bring back up as president that bipartisan border security bill and make sure that it is brought to my desk so I can sign it into law,” she said before criticizing former President Trump. OBAMA CLAIMS TRUMP ‘DID NOT SOLVE’ IMMIGRATION ‘PROBLEM.’ THE NUMBERS TELL A DIFFERENT STORY “The biggest issue that we have right now is that Donald Trump has stood in the way of what would have been a proven part of the solution to the bigger problem, which is that we have a broken immigration system in America, and we need to fix it,” Harris continued. Harris has repeatedly scorned Trump over his border policies, which resulted in a sharp decline in illegal immigrant crossings into the United States. Trump ran in 2016 on a pledge to build a border wall and have Mexico pay for it, but it never did. MIGRANTS CAUGHT AT BORDER BUSED, FLOWN OUT OF SAN DIEGO IN POSSIBLE ‘COVER UP’ BEFORE ELECTION: OFFICIAL “How much of that wall did he build? I think the last number I saw was about 2%,” Harris said Wednesday. Harris was asked at the town hall if she agreed to earmark $650 million to continue construction of the border wall, which Harris previously called “stupid.” “I pledge that I am going to bring forward that bipartisan bill to further strengthen and secure our border. Yes, I am, and I’m going to work across the aisle to pass a comprehensive bill that deals with a broken immigration system,” she responded. On Thursday, Harris said Trump prefers to run on the problem instead of fixing the immigration system. “I intend to fix the problem in a way that is just about practical solutions that are within our arm’s reach. If we have the commitment to do it,” she said without responding to the border wall question. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On the campaign trail and in media interviews, she has dodged questions about the Biden administration’s border policies that resulted in record-high numbers of illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. and migrant crime, preferring to criticize Trump and promote a 2021 bill as evidence that Biden tried to strengthen U.S. immigration policies ahead of the migrant crisis. That bill would have paved the way to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
Mozambique ruling party declared winner of election amid fraud claims
The ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secures more than 70 percent of votes, election commission says. Mozambique’s ruling party candidate, Daniel Chapo, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election amid claims of rigging by the opposition. Chapo, from the Frelimo party which has been in power for almost half a century, secured more than 70 percent of the votes, the National Election Commission (CNE) said on Thursday. His main opponent, the independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, came second with more than 20 percent, while the candidate of the opposition party Renamo, Ossufo Momade, came third with more than five percent, according to the CNE. The results of the October 9 election mean the governing Front for the Liberation of Mozambique party, or Frelimo, has extended its 49 years in power since the southern African country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. It then fought a bloody 15-year civil war against the rebel group Renamo, which later developed into the main opposition party. The 47-year-old Chapo will officially take charge of the southern African country in January, becoming Mozambique’s first president born after independence. Mondlane, 50, backed by the Podemos party, has claimed he won the vote, alleging electoral fraud and manipulation in favour of Frelimo. Since voting day Mondlane has issued calls on social media for protests. In a message on Facebook late Wednesday, he encouraged a “great national demonstration” against Frelimo’s half-a-century in power. “The time has come for the people to take power and say that we now want to change the history of this country,” he said. Frelimo has often been accused of rigging elections, which it has consistently denied. Current President Filipe Nyusi of Frelimo is stepping down after serving two terms, the maximum allowed. The EU’s observer mission said this week that some of its election observers had been prevented from monitoring counting in some areas, and there was an “unjustified alteration” of results at some polling stations. Opposition parties have alleged fraud since the day of the election. The country of around 33 million people has been on edge since Elvino Dias, a lawyer and advisor to Mondlane, was killed when gunmen riddled his car with bullets in the port capital of Maputo, the opposition Podemos party said. Podemos spokesperson Paulo Guambe was also in the car at the time and was killed. Mondlane has accused the security forces of carrying out the killing. Police said they have launched an investigation into the killings, which Frelimo “vehemently” condemned as a “macabre act”. Police also quelled demonstrations by opposition supporters this week, by firing teargas. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel’s claim vs Victim’s relative’s account on Gaza hospital tent attack
Compare & Contrast Israel’s claim vs Victim’s relative’s account on Gaza hospital tent attack. Read more We compare and contrast Israel’s claim that the Gaza hospital tent attack was “fabricated” vs an account from a relative of a victim. Published On 24 Oct 202424 Oct 2024 Adblock test (Why?)