OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:40 AM PT – Thur. June 4, 2019
Congressman Justin Amash announces he is leaving the Republican
party, saying “modern politics is trapped in a partisan death spiral.” In an op-ed in the Washington Post Thursday, Amash laid out his new values and, new political affiliation.
FILE
– In this June 12, 2019 file photo, Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., listens
to debate as the House Oversight and Reform Committee considers whether
to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur
Ross in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed documents related
to the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to
the 2020 census, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Amash, the only
Republican in Congress to support the impeachment of President Donald
Trump, said Thursday, July 3 he is leaving the GOP because he has become
disenchanted with partisan politics and “frightened by what I see from
it.” (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File )
He claimed, recent years have caused him to become “disenchanted and frightened with party politics” and the two party system. Amash said he will now become an Independent, and stated he will work to reject divisive loyalties. The moves comes just weeks after Amash came forward as the only GOP
member to call for the impeachment of President Trump back in May. Meanwhile, President Trump said Amash’s departure from the Republican party is “great news”. In a tweet Thursday the president slammed Amash, saying he is “one of the dumbest and most disloyal men in Congress.”
Great news for the Republican Party as one of the
dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is “quitting” the Party. No
Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run
again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his
seat. A total loser!
He said the congressman’s decision to quit was a guise for knowing
“he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the great state of
Michigan.” The president added he is already being challenged for his seat, and closed by calling Amash a “total loser.”
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:20 AM PT – Thur. June 4, 2019
Vice President Mike Pence marks the nation’s independence by welcoming in 44 new U.S. citizens at the National Archives D.C. Speaking at the naturalization ceremony Thursday, Pence congratulated
everyone for successfully going through the legal process in order to
become a U.S. citizen.
Vice
President Mike Pence speaks at a naturalization ceremony for new
naturalized citizens in celebration of Independence Day at the National
Archives in Washington, Thursday, July 4, 2019. Also at the event is
Acting Director, US Immigration and Immigration Services, Kenneth T.
Cuccinelli, left seated. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
He went on to praise their journeys and sacrifices to reach this
point, as the new U.S. citizens hailed from 26 different countries. Pence also informed them of the debates in America they will now take
place in, including immigration, referring to the current system as
broken. But touted the unmatched freedom in America that several across
the globe pursue. “Our freedom continues to inspired the world,” said Pence. “Millions
over the generations now who you’ve joined who’ve come to these shores
and nations around the world who inspire to be like us.” The VP went on to encourage the new U.S. citizens to pursue their
passions, saying no dream is too big in the land of the free and the
home of the brave.
Sen. Ted Cruz responded Thursday night after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick posted a passage earlier on the Fourth of July from a famous speech by Civil War-era abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
The passage Kaepernick cites is from Douglass’ speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
Douglass delivered to the speech at a meeting of the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, N.Y., on July 5, 1852 – nearly nine years before the Civil War began.
Kaepernick
posted the following portion, without adding any comments: “What have
I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? This
Fourth of July is yours, not mine…There is not a nation on the earth
guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of
these United States at this very hour.”
But the former San
Francisco 49ers signal-caller includes a video montage of a longer
version of the speech, accompanied by drawings depicting American slaves
and photos from the Civil War era. Interspersed are videos from recent
years, showing police using force against people of color.
“You quote a mighty and historic speech by the great
abolitionist Frederick Douglass,” Sen. Cruz writes in response, “but,
without context, many modern readers will misunderstand.”
Cruz
goes on to acknowledge that slavery was an “abomination” in the U.S. but
was eliminated through the efforts of Douglass and “so many other
heroes.”
The senator then asserts that Douglass “was not anti-American; he was, rightly and passionately, anti-slavery.”
As evidence, Cruz quotes another portion of the same Douglass speech:
“Allow
me to say, in conclusion, notwithstanding the dark picture I have this
day presented, of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this
country.
“There are forces in operation, which must inevitably,
work the downfall of slavery. ‘The arm of the Lord is not shortened,’
and the doom of slavery is certain.
“I, therefore, leave off where
I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from ‘the Declaration
of Independence,’ the great principles it contains, and the genius of
American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious
tendencies of the age.”
After quoting Douglass, Cruz then writes:
“Let me encourage everyone, READ THE ENTIRE SPEECH; it is powerful,
inspirational, and historically important in bending the arc of history
towards justice.”
The senator then includes a link to the full text of the Douglass speech.
Kaepernick
has gained notoriety away in recent years for drawing attention to the
issue of police use of force against African-Americans and other
minorities. It began with his kneeling protests during the playing of the national anthem before NFL games and continued in other ways after he left the league.
Earlier this year, Kaepernick reached a settlement with the NFL after being unable to get a job with another team since leaving the 49ers.
This
week, the former quarterback made headlines for opposing the so-called
Betsy Ross flag added to a new design of Nike sneakers, viewing the flag
as a reminder of slavery.
The
apparel company agreed to halt sales of the sneaker after Kaepernick’s
complaint, “based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend”
people. Kaepernick has been an endorser of Nike products.
Others
have argued that the 13-starred Betsy Ross flag is symbolic of
America’s fight for independence from Britain, and is separate from the
slavery issue.
Cruz was one of several top Republicans to oppose Nike's decision to end sales of the sneakers.
A Republican congressman has encouraged President Trump to ignore the Supreme Court and print the 2020 U.S. Census with the question about citizenship, as the president mulls an executive order.
Rep.
Chip Roy, who represents the Lone Star State's 21st Congressional
District -- covering much of the area north of San Antonio, plus much of
Austin -- made the call on social media amid the controversy over the
census citizenship question that caused some confusion within the Trump
administration on whether the question will appear on the survey.
“It’s
the lawyers advising him,” Roy wrote in a tweet. “[Trump] should ignore
them. Completely. Print the Census with the questions — and issue a
statement explaining why — ‘because we should.’ Done.”
The
Supreme Court last week blocked the citizenship question for the time
being until more reasoning from the administration can be provided.
This
prompted Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to initially announce that his
department would print the census without the citizenship question amid
the Supreme Court objections.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, made the call on social media amid the
controversy over the census citizenship question that caused some
confusion within the Trump administration of whether the question will
appear on the survey. (Associated Press)
“The Census Bureau has started the process of
printing the decennial questionnaires without the question,” Ross said
in a statement. “My focus and that of the bureau and the entire
department is to conduct a complete and accurate census.”
The
Texas congressman, a freshman Republican, fired back on social media
after being accused of openly calling on Trump to ignore the high court.
“Lawless
is the state of our border. Lawless is being ruled by Judges on matters
of policy choices,” he tweeted. “Lawless is NOT rightly advising the
President to follow the Constitution and include a citizenship question
on the census — particularly in light of the opinion.”
Trump has
been critical of the Supreme Court block, attacking it as “totally
ridiculous” that the U.S. government “cannot ask a basic question of
Citizenship.”
On Wednesday, Trump said that reports that that Commerce had dropped the “quest” to put the question on the census were “fake!”
“We are absolutely moving forward, as we must, because of the importance of the answer to this question,” he tweeted.
On
Thursday Trump said his administration is still working to add the
question on the census, with reports saying he’s mulling an executive
order to do so, a move that would lead to a showdown between his
administration and the Supreme Court.
“So important for our
Country that the very simple and basic ‘Are you a Citizen of the United
States?’ question be allowed to be asked in the 2020 Census,” he
tweeted.
Multiple outlets reported that Trump is considering using
an executive order to move forward with the push. The Washington Post
reported that Trump had told lawyers to fix the situation with an
executive order and add it to the census later.
"The
administration is considering the appropriateness of an executive order
that would address the constitutional need for the citizenship question
to be included in the 2020 census," a source told Axios. Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Critics of President Trump's planned "Salute to America"
celebration are letting their disdain for the Republican get in the way
of celebrating the Fourth of July, according to the president's
reelection campaign spokeswoman.
There is no reason to object to the president's Thursday evening celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, Trump 2020 national press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle."
"Let's
be clear what this is about," she said. "Their hate for President
Trump is clouding their love for this country. This is a 'Salute to
America.'
"Leave it to the left to be unpatriotic the day before and day of the Fourth of July."
In
a montage played by guest host Tammy Bruce, Washington Mayor Muriel
Bowser, a Democrat, said on MSNBC she hoped, "that we never see this
spectacle of our military force being on display as a show of force to
our own people."
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who represents neighboring Alexandria, claimed Trump, "must be the most insecure man I've ever seen."
In another interview, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., said tanks should not be rolling in her city.
Earlier this week,
an Associated Press photographer spotted the two M1A1 Abrams tanks,
along with four other military vehicles, in a railyard at the
southeastern edge of Washington. A military official earlier told the AP
that the tanks were transported north from Fort Stewart in Georgia.
The vehicles include M1A1 Abrams tanks,
the type currently used by American armed forces, as well as Sherman
tanks, the kind commonly used during World War II, according to the
president. Having tanks rolling down the streets of D.C. had raised
concerns due to their weight, with the Abrams tanks weighing upwards of
60 tons each. Trump acknowledged these concerns Monday, without offering
many details. Fox News' Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
High-level campaign staffers for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris engaged in a fiery exchange on Twitter on Wednesday over the candidates' positions on school busing.
The
war of words followed the candidates' fiery exchange during last
Thursday night's Democratic primary debate in Miami, when Harris
challenged Biden over the issue. The face-off produced Harris' "That
little girl was me" remark that got wide media attention.
However, Harris' stance on busing isn't rock-solid, at least according to what she told reporters on Wednesday at a Democratic picnic in West Des Moines, Iowa.
"I
think of busing as being in the toolbox of what is available and what
can be used for the goal of desegregating America’s schools,” Harris
said, but when pressed on whether she believes in federally mandated
busing, she responded, "I believe that any tool that is in the toolbox
should be considered by a school district.”
That received a sharp response from Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager and communications director.
"It's
disappointing that Senator Harris chose to distort Vice President
Biden's position on busing," Bedingfield tweeted, "particularly now that
she is tying herself in knots trying not to answer the very question
she posed to him!"
That drew a reaction from Harris press secretary Ian Sams, who shot back by quoting Biden when he previously denounced busing.
"VP
Biden said: 'Who the hell do we think we are that the only way a black
man or woman can learn is if they rub shoulders with my white child?' He
called busing an 'asinine concept.' C’mon. Y’all are better than this."
Then
Bedingfield answered back: "If we’re cherry-picking quotes on Twitter,
what about this one from this January? Sen. Harris: 'I think there are
many people who would make a good president... I'm very fond of Joe
Biden, so you're not gonna hear me criticize Joe Biden. I think he's a
great guy.'"
"She does think he’s a good guy. So do I," Sams responded. "That’s
why a simple 'working with segregationists to stop busing 40 years ago
was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done it' would be welcome."
Harris has seen a major surge in the polls since her widely praised performance at last week's Democratic debate.
The U.S. senator from California has jumped into third place among the
two-dozen candidates seeking the Democratic Party nod in the average of
polls, according to Real Clear Politics. Several polls now put her close
to Biden.
An Old West desert town in California has declared itself a “sanctuary city” for law-abiding gun owners.
Needles
is a town of about 5,000 that borders Arizona and is a few miles from
the southern tip of Nevada. Last month, the City Council voted
unanimously to declare itself a “2nd Amendment Sanctuary City,” for
people who feel California’s strict gun laws tread on their
constitutional right to bear arms.
Needles’ city attorney has been directed to draft a resolution asking
the state’s Legislature to allow gun owners from other states to carry
firearms in town. But Councilman Tim Terral, who sponsored the measure,
admitted the request is a longshot in California’s Democrat-controlled governing body.
“They want to pick and choose what they follow,” Terral said of California’s sanctuary status for illegal immigrants.
“It’s ‘We’re going to shield this person, but we’re going to go after
that person.’ And in our opinion, they have violated the
Second Amendment of the Constitution in many ways.”
“They
want to pick and choose what they follow. It’s ‘We’re going to shield
this person, but we’re going to go after that person.’ And in our
opinion, they have violated the Second Amendment of the Constitution in
many ways.” — Tim Terral, Needles council member
Terral
and other city officials said the measure has less to do with making
the city a Wild West town and more to do with ensuring out-of-state
visitors with legally registered guns from outside California don’t face
a felony arrest.
“We have had that happen,” City Manager Rick Daniels said. “Now not a lot. Not a lot. But occasionally that occurs.”
Needles’ proposal comes amid heightened restrictions for gun owners and would-be gun owners alike in California. A state law
that took effect Monday mandates that gun owners undergo a background
check to purchase ammunition and outlaws people from bringing ammunition
into California from other states.
Most
Needles residents buy their ammunition in neighboring Arizona because
the nearest California stores are more than 100 miles away. City
leaders want residents to be able to continue purchasing in neighboring
states.
That
and a request that California recognize concealed carry permits from
other states will be spelled out in another resolution the City Council
plans to consider July 9.
Blls Bailey: "Single out anyone of these punks and send him to Texas for a one on one fight against a conservative, he will get his ass handed back to him on a silver platter. They're a bunch of cowards that will only fight you when they outnumber you."
Authorities in Portland, Ore.,
are calling for a series of laws to curb violent clashes at
demonstrations that include prohibiting masks worn by
protesters, allowing police to videotape demonstrations and giving the
city greater control over events organized by groups with violent
histories.
“We cannot allow people to continue to use the guise of
free speech to commit a crime,’’ police Chief Danielle Outlaw said in a
Wednesday news conference addressing last week's violence that occurred when three competing demonstrations converged downtown.
“We cannot allow people to continue to use the guise of free speech to commit a crime.’’ — Chief Danielle Outlaw, Portland, Ore., police
Several
people were injured in connection with demonstrations as marchers with
an anti-fascist group clashed with conservative protesters with the
Proud Boys and supporters of the #HimToo movement. Conservative writer Andy Ngo was assaulted by Antifa members and spent the night in an emergency room.
A man checks his phone while surrounded by police and medics after
being injured during a civil disturbance in Portland, Ore., on
Saturday, June 29, 2019. (Associated Press)
About 15 states and some countries have anti-mask laws, the Oregonian reported. Opponents argue such laws would deprive people anonymity to express their views and would violate their First Amendment rights.
“We
looked into it previously and the constitutional free speech issues are
difficult to overcome, at least in Oregon, said Tim Crail, chief of
staff for Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz.
Outlaw said the
issue was a matter of public safety. Portland has been the site of
several violent demonstrations between Antifa supporters and
conservative demonstrators in recent months.
Ngo, who covered Antifa for the website Quillette, was kicked in the head and had objects thrown at him.
“A lot of people are emboldened because they know they can’t be identified,’’ Outlaw said.
“A lot of people are emboldened because they know they can’t be identified.’’ — Chief Danielle Outlaw, Portland, Ore., police
The
American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon said it doubts a policy
prohibiting masks could be enforced in a constitutional manner.
"A
policy that prohibits wearing a mask to a protest will have police
focusing on the wrong issue," Sarah Armstrong, a spokeswoman for the
group, told the paper. "Behavior is the issue, not the mask,'' she said.
"It could be argued that the mask is an important symbolic part of a
protester’s message. ... There are many legitimate reasons people wear
‘masks,’ including political and religious reasons.''
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, made the call on social media amid the
controversy over the census citizenship question that caused some
confusion within the Trump administration of whether the question will
appear on the survey. (Associated Press)
A man checks his phone while surrounded by police and medics after
being injured during a civil disturbance in Portland, Ore., on
Saturday, June 29, 2019. (Associated Press)
