Justice Department Urged To Investigate Deletion Of January 6 Texts By Pentagon
Watchdog group calls on Merrick Garland asked to investigate deleted phone messages from senior Trump officials
The US attorney general, Merrick Garland, has been asked to investigate yet another deletion of text messages and other communications by senior officials on 6 January 2021, this time by the Pentagon.
American Oversight, a non-partisan watchdog group, revealed the shock deletion on Tuesday, having discovered it through freedom of information requests to the Department of Defense.
The DoD and the army admitted in court filings to American Oversight that the phone messages of senior Trump officials were wiped after the administration handover, including text messages from January 6, the day of the deadly attack on Congress by supporters of Donald Trump.
Similar deletions of communications around January 6 by the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service were already the subject of considerable controversy.
The Department of Justice and the House January 6 committee continue to investigate Trumps attempt to overturn his election defeat.
In an open letter to Garland, American Oversight said: We urge you to investigate DoDs failure to preserve the text messages of several high-ranking officials on or surrounding the day of the January 6 attack.
The Pentagons sluggish response to the Capitol attack remains the subject of widespread speculation and investigation.
Reuters contributed reporting
Is This Really The Suppression Of Political Speech
A lot of these systems are flagged automatically or occur when customer complaints come in, so thats a hard case to make. Theres no evidence that the carriers or their partners are flagging and blocking these messages for reasons other than preventing spam.
The telecom companies are also far more reserved when it comes to staking out a political position, with the carriers previously having praised Trump for his large corporate tax cut in 2017.
When it comes to combatting spam, the motivation is primarily driven by the need to eliminate something most people find annoying.
And This Is Popular With Political Campaigns
Yes. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was the first to effectively employ this system with Hustle, which employed people to send personal text messages to prospective voters. Youve likely seen an increase in volume of text messages from local campaigns during an election or primary.
It turns out, youre more likely to respond to a text message than you are a phone call or email, which often are littered with spam or robocalls.
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Donald Trump Really Wants You To Text His Name To 88022 But Will He Ever Text Back
At Donald Trump rallies and news conferences, the invocation is very often printed in the cameras lines of sight to ensure maximum exposure:
Text Trump to 88022
If you assumed this is a fundraising ploy, youd be wrong. The Republican presidential front-runner is self-funding his campaign, remember?
Instead of money, Trump ostensibly wants a channel to communicate directly with voters. His website advertises exclusive updates for those who subscribe to the texting service.
One problem: Trump doesnt seem to use the service very often.
Two weeks ago, on the day of the Wisconsin primary, I signed up and prepared for The Donald to Make My iPhone Great Again with the exclusive updates I had been promised. Heres how it went.
And then nothing for 14 days.
Last week, Fix colleague Philip Bump had the good idea to subscribe using a New York ZIP code to see whether the Trump campaign might be targeting residents of the Empire State ahead of the primary. He got nothing for five days.
Finally, on primary day Tuesday, the first exclusive updates arrived.
Later, after I asked the campaign about its use or underuse of the text line, both Bump and I received this message.
What. A. Waste.
Maybe, in another message, Trump could ask subscribers to name the No. 1 issue in the campaign: Text A for immigration, B for terrorism, C for trade, D for gun rights.
Heres what Buell recommends:
As Bad As This Can Get
In the aftermath of the violence at the Capitol on January 6, Trumps inner circle discussed in a group text how to deal with the fallout and Trumps suspension from Twitter. At 10:10 p.m. on January 6, Kushner texted the group: Why dont we post on his Facebook page since he isnt locked out there.
In the final days of Trumps term, as he faced impeachment for a second time, Meadows received words of encouragement from staunch allies, as well as caution from advisers.
I would like to pass to POTUS that we are still with him, I believe in him and I want to encourage him, Rep. Andrew Clyde, a freshman Georgia Republican, wrote on January 9. I truly hope he does create a new platform to complete with Twitter and I hope he calls it Trumpet and then we can send out notes to each other!
I will share it with him. Thanks Andrew, Meadows responded.
On January 13, the day the House voted to impeach Trump for inciting the insurrection at the Capitol with 10 Republicans joining Democrats Miller shared polling data in a group text with Meadows, Scavino and Kushner that showed 2/3 of the MAGA base wants us to move on.
I tried to walk the President through this earlier but he wont have any of it, Miller said.
Nevertheless, Trumps standing in the Republican Party quickly recovered, especially after McCarthys January 28 visit to Mar-a-Lago and the February 2021 acquittal of Trump in the Senate impeachment trial.
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Inappropriate: Leftist Reporter Slammed For Trying To Tie Trump To Nevada Journalists Alleged Murder By Sisolak Appointee Democrat Official
A Democrat official in Clark County, Nevada, was arrested on suspicion of murdering Las Vegas Journal-Review investigative reporter Jeff German but instead of asking questions about the case, a reporter asked about President Donald Trumps supposed normalization of violence against journalists.
Clark County Sheriff and Republican Gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo, whom Trump endorsed in the race to snag Gov. Steve Sisolaks seat, was taking questions at a press conference on Thursday about the case when Dana Gentry with the Nevada Currentasked him if he condemns the former president.
Now is probably not the appropriate time to talk politics but do you condemn Gentry began, before Lombardo replied, So why are we talking politics then?
Do you condemn former President Trumps normalization of violence against journalists? Gentry continued.
Lombardo said the case press conference was an inappropriate venue to speculate on that or opine on that.
Jeff German, host of Mobbed Up, poses with Planet Hollywood, formerly the Aladdin, in the background on the Strip in Las Vegas, Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
Dana Gentry, journalist
Metro Officers depart the home of Robert Telles on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Republican Governors Association Communications Director Jesse Hunt slammed the reporter for trying to pin responsibility on Trump for a crime allegedly committed by a Democrat official who was appointed by a Democrat governor.
Printable Template For Writing A Letter To The President
For a shortcut to formatting your letter to the president, download this customizable printable letter thats already addressed and formatted in a way that makes it easy for you to fill in your contact information and content. Just click the image below and the template will open as a PDF file that you can edit, save, and print. Adjust the text in the body of the message so that its specific to the cause or issue that you want to share with the president.
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No Evidence Letter Is Authentic
There is no evidence that the letter depicted on social me is real. The contents of the posts letter also contradict Bidens assessment of it being very generous.
Additionally, the seal at the top of the letter does not match the seals used on other letters from Trump that have been made public, like this one. The letter posted to Instagram is also dated 20th January 2021, instead of the typical date formatting with the month first, followed by the day.
Lastly, the letters assertion that Trump won the election is false. Election officials, both Republicans and Democrats, have confirmed that there was no widespread voter fraud and lawsuits alleging fraud have been largely unsuccessful.
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British Elections Send A Message To Trump Gop And Bidens Democrats
If Donald Trump were at all self-reflective, he would probably be kicking himself right now as he surveys the results of last weeks British elections. Through his own mistakes and obstinance in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, he might conclude that he kicked away his chance to serve a second term in the White House.
These were the first elections in Britain since Boris Johnson became prime minister in 2019 and Johnsons Conservative Party came out winning, both in local races and in a signature victory in a working-class, parliamentary district in northeast England long held by the Labour Party.
Johnson, like Trump, mishandled the early stages of the pandemic. Like the former U.S. president, he contracted covid-19, and had a far worse case, having been hospitalized and in intensive care for a time. But his later handling of the pandemic was less uneven, and this year Britain stepped farther and faster in administering vaccinations than other European nations. It helped.
The British elections were not purely about the coronavirus pandemic, but nothing in politics today is free from the viruss effects in health, economic well-being and the public mood. On the most important issue of campaign 2020, Trump was a victim of his own making.
As Republicans debate Trumps role and what it means to be a conservative, Johnson, like Trump, is rewriting the rules of what conservatism means.
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So What Was The Problem
The volume of messages likely tripped up the system. But the potential issue may have been that the messages didn’t include clear opt-out language, and the senders may not have gained consent ahead of time.
While the carriers haven’t spoken about the incident, the CTIA, the trade group that represents the US wireless industry, made clear that recipients must be able to unsubscribe from unsolicited texts.
“We expect all senders — whether airlines, schools, banks or campaigns — to include clear opt-out language and gain prior consent before sending a text,” said a spokesman for the organization. “These simple steps help protect consumers from spam, and maintain text messaging as a trusted medium for everyone.”
Look What People Are Saying
CNN Tim Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek& The Tim Ferriss Show Entrepreneur Magazine Dan Kennedy, No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent Peter Shankman, Help A Reporter Out Sandra Sims, Step by Step Fundraising John Kremer, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books Steve Purcell, LookToTheStars.org Paul Hartunian, Free Publicity Information Center Dan Janal, PR LEADS Anthony Record, Autograph Magazine Robert Skrob, Information Marketing Association Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound
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Melania Trump Wears Slogan Jacket
When or how did Melania Trump become a billboard? When I saw the first lady Melania Trump wearing a slogan jacket reading I dont really care do u ?, I can say I wasnt too shocked. Since in life I have always said you lie down with the dogs and youll wake up with the fleas .
First and foremost darlings this is a fashion blog not a political site. However sometimes these two fields cant help but cross paths. Here on this blog I have written several times on politics and am proud to put across my points of view. While I dont claim to be a political pundit I have certain political views and educate myself accordingly.
Here are a list of my political posts in case you want to check them out
Therefore my friends I will occasionally cover political issues , but always through fashions eye.
Read More Coverage Of The Jan 6 Aftermath
But they noted that the agency underwent the system migration process “just three weeks after the attack on the Capitol in which the Vice President of the United States, while under the protection of the Secret Service, was steps from a violent mob hunting for him.”
“Four House committees had already sought these critical records from the Department of Homeland Security before the records were apparently lost,” Thompson and Cheney added. “The Select Committee is seeking additional Secret Service records as well. Every effort must be made to retrieve the lost data as well.”
The select committee issued the subpoena after being informed that Secret Service texts from Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 of that year had been erased as a result of a “device-replacement program.” The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, briefed the select panel about the missing texts hours before the subpoena was issued Friday night, news outlets reported.
The inspector general, Joseph Cuffari, had previously told congressional committees that the messages had been deleted after his office had asked the Secret Service for electronic communications records tied to the Capitol riot.
A senior Secret Service official told NBC that agency employees had been reminded in two separate emails to preserve records on their mobile devices before that replacement process began.
The panel’s next public hearing is set for 8 p.m. ET Thursday.
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How Do These Mass Text Messages Work
Political campaigns tap companies such as Hustle or RumbleUp that employ hundreds of people who each send thousands of text messages to potential voters. Theyre exactly like the text messages that you or I send to our friends and family, and are categorized as peer-to-peer, or P2P messages. Thats different from whats known as application-to-peer, or A2P, messages, which are more formal blast text messages.
Since P2P messages are normally supposed to be more limited exchanges between individuals, systems may flag accounts that send too many messages. If, for instance, you send more than 1,000 messages in a day, those messages will likely get blocked.
Companies will work with the carriers ahead of time to get prior approval to send these mass messages.
How To Write To The President
The President of the United States may seem out of reach to everyday constituents who do not hold any government office. Fortunately, the U.S. democracy is such that essentially anyone can reach the White House. The official website of the president, whitehouse.gov, makes information for contacting the nations highest office readily available. Web visitors can find phone numbers, with telecommunications options available for the deaf or mute, online. Furthermore, there is a form built into the site for easy email correspondence.
Though calling and emailing are fast and convenient communication methods, there may be a circumstance that calls for a letter. While the website provides basic information about how to write the president, there are a few other things a potential correspondent may want to consider:
The Paper
The White House recommends that correspondents compose their letter on 8.5 by 11-inch paper, which is the standard size for most ruled and printer paper. There are no guidelines about weight, color or fiber communicators are free to choose whatever paper they feel is appropriate. That being said, the letter is going to pass through many hands once it arrives at the White House, so durability is an important consideration.
The Method
The Volume
Mailing
The final consideration for how to write the president has to do with the mailing. Correspondents should address their letters to:
Chantel Baul
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Would Trumps Support Change If He Were Charged With A Crime
The former president faces a handful of investigations, including from the Department of Justice and the U.S. House select committee on the origins of the Jan. 6 attack, a grand jury looking into potential election interference in Georgia and, most recently, an FBI probe into classified materials removed from the White House and kept at Trumps Florida estate. Some had been recovered or returned earlier this year. But when the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago last month, agents still found more than 100 classified documents and 43 empty folders with classified markings, among thousands of other official records, according to a Department of Justice list of items.
Support for Trumps candidacy in 2024 would not change much if any of these investigations result in Trump being charged with a crime, according to this poll. Sixty-five percent of Americans would oppose another run for the White House. More than six in 10 Republicans would still want to see him launch a campaign. Meanwhile, 73 percent of independents say he should not run again if he is charged.
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This poll is just a snapshot of the current political environment. With two months until the midterm elections and another two years until the 2024 presidential election, a lot can still change with the Republican primary field and the investigations.
Graphic by Megan McGrew
Blunt: Trump Could Be Gop Nominee In 2024 If People Remain Frustrated With Government
Several days after Biden was declared the winner, Trump political aide Jason Miller texted Meadows on Nov. 13, 2020, flagging that he had emailed him a “backgrounder” on Dominion Voting Systems, which sells voting software and machines.
“Lots there re: functionality problems, not much there on Dem/Soros conspiracy connections,” Miller texted Meadows. “Will defer to you on whether or not to share full report with POTUS. POTUS is clearly hyped up on them, not just from his tweets, but he also called me and Justin separately last night to complain.”
Miller did not respond to a request for comment on his texts.
Businessman Mike Lindell, a prominent Trump supporter who owns My Pillow, confirmed that he sent a lengthy text message to Meadows that was published by CNN. He added that he also sent Meadows a PDF document that included claims that Russia and China, among other countries and private companies, hacked into voting machines.
Meadows responded, “I am not an attorney. I dont have the expertise to weigh in on any of this,” according to Lindell.
On Nov. 19, 2020, more than a month before a phone call in which Trump begged Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes in Georgia to recalculate in his favor, Meadows texted asking Raffensperger him to call him.
A spokesman for Raffensperger said Monday he had no recollection of receiving that message.
Republicans in Congress also discussed with Meadows their plans to object to the certification of the election results on Jan. 6.
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