Steve Bannon spends first day out of prison stumping for Trump
Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon wasted no time showing his support for the former president after being released from prison early Tuesday morning, Oct. 29. Bannon just finished serving a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from Congress during its investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
Bannon’s first order of business was to resume his podcast “WarRoom.” He then held a news conference urging Republicans to turn out in droves to vote for Trump on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
“I’ve been empowered by my four months at Danbury Federal Prison,” Bannon said during the news conference.
He added, “Obviously with seven days or six days left, you have to have a convergence of the get out the vote effort. I am not a huge believer in our ability to actually participate in rallies or do rallies because right now I think President Trump does great and he has people along there going to do rallies in the different states. Our focus is one thing to make sure that we get as many American citizens, either early voting when they can or to the polls next Tuesday.”
With six days until the election, former President Donald Trump stumped in Allentown, Pennsylvania as Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her “closing argument.” We have what each said about what’s at stake next Tuesday. Also, details on what happened after a gunman opened fire from a hotel in Atlanta. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
Harris gives closing argument as Trump addresses Biden’s comments
Some twists on the campaign trail with under a week to go now to Election Day and already more than 50 million ballots cast. Both presidential candidates gave dueling speeches Tuesday night, Oct. 29.
The Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris delivered what she described as her “closing argument” to the American people near the White House as the Republican nominee former President Donald Trump looked to court Latino voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
During her address at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., the vice president emphasized its significance as the same site where former President Trump spoke to his supporters right before the riots on the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“So tonight, I will speak to everyone about the choice and stakes in this election,” she said. “Look, we know who Donald Trump is. He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election.”
The vice president also told voters she will seek common ground, saying she will give those who disagree with her a “seat at the table.”
“As Americans, we rise and fall together,” she said. “America, for too long, we have been consumed with too much division, chaos and mutual distrust. And it can be easy then to forget a simple truth: it doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way. We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms.”
In Pennsylvania, former President Trump reached out to voters during a rally in the majority Hispanic town of Allentown.
“I’m here today with a message of hope for all Americans,” he said. “With your vote this election — oh, do I look forward to this election. We — I’m going to say ‘we’ because we are going to do it as a group. We will end inflation. Wwe will stop the invasion of criminals into our country. And we will bring back the American dream. We’re doing it together, Pennsylvania.”
During his rally, the former president asked his supporters to vote and send in their mail-in ballots early, saying “they’ve already cheated” in the state — a reference to law enforcement in Lancaster County announcing they were investigating around 2,500 voter registration forms for alleged fraud.
Trump turned his attention to President Joe Biden after Florida Sen. Marco Rubio joined him on stage.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but I have breaking news for you Mr. President,” Rubio told Trump. “You may not have heard this: just moments ago, Joe Biden stated that our supporters are garbage, are garbage. He’s talking about the border patrol, he’s talking about nurses, he’s talking about teachers, he’s talking about everyday Americans who love their country and want to dream big again and support you Mr. President.”
“Remember Hillary [Clinton], she said ‘deplorable’ and then she said ‘irredeemable,’ right?” Trump responded. “But she said ‘deplorable.’ That didn’t work out. Garbage, I think, is worse right?”
What they were referring to were comments made by President Biden during a Voto Latino campaign call Tuesday night. Biden spoke about the comedian who made controversial jokes about Puerto Rico during Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally over the weekend.
“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,’” the president said. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
The White House issued a statement saying, “The president referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’” President Biden himself followed up on his comments with a post on X saying, “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage…the comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
During an appearance on Fox News Tuesday night, Trump told host Sean Hannity nobody from his campaign vetted the comedian before the MSG rally.
As it pertains to the alleged voter fraud in Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro told CNN there will be safe elections in the state and when asked about Biden’s “garbage” comment, Shapiro said, “It’s certainly not the words I would choose.”
Supreme Court rules RFK Jr. will remain on ballot in 2 swing states
It was unlikely the Supreme Court would have ruled in his favor, because voting is already underway in both states. Kennedy’s name also remains on the ballot in some other states, but he did not ask the Supreme Court to take it off anywhere but Wisconsin and Michigan in an apparent move to secure more voters for his ally Trump.
Steve Bannon spends first day out of prison stumping for Trump
Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon wasted no time showing his support for the former president after being released from prison early Tuesday morning. Bannon just finished serving a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from Congress during its investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
Bannon’s first order of business was to resume his podcast “WarRoom.” He then held a news conference urging Republicans to turn out in droves to vote for Trump on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
“I’ve been empowered by my four months at Danbury Federal Prison,” Bannon said during the news conference.
He added, “Obviously with seven days or six days left, you have to have a convergence of the get out the vote effort. I am not a huge believer in our ability to actually participate in rallies or do rallies because right now I think President Trump does great and he has people long there are going to do rallies in the different states. Our focus is one thing to make sure that we get as many American citizens, either early voting when they can or to the polls next Tuesday.”
He has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges. His trial in that case is scheduled to begin in December.
Paul Pelosi attacker sentenced to life term on state charges
A judge sentenced the man who broke into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s northern California home and attacked her husband, Paul, with a hammer to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
David DePape, 44, was already serving 30 years in federal prison for the attack when a San Francisco jury found him guilty of multiple state charges in June.
Both the prosecution and defense said the life without parole sentence will be served concurrently with DePape’s federal sentence. It has not yet been determined where he will serve his punishment.
Suspect in custody after shots fired at Atlanta Four Seasons
A police officer and a suspected shooter are recovering after gunfire broke out at a building that houses a Four Seasons Hotel and residences in Atlanta Tuesday. The Atlanta police chief said the officer was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
UPDATE: Barricaded Gunman turned Active Shooter Situation Zone 5 at 75 14th Street Sound from Mayor Andre Dickens & Chief Darin Schierbaumhttps://t.co/TjSDcj3YTj
Authorities say the man fired at least once from the balcony of a residence on the 33rd floor of the 53-story high-rise building. They say he also shot through walls and doors, but no other injuries were reported.
Police said the suspect lives in the residential portion of the building and was not a guest at the Four Seasons hotel portion.
Yankees deny Dodgers a World Series sweep with Game 4 win
Despite another Freddie Freeman home run — becoming the first player to homer in games 1, 2, 3, and 4 — the Yankees crushed the Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4 Tuesday night in the Bronx, highlighted by three home runs including a grand slam by shortstop Anthony Volpe.
The game also featured an odd moment when Yankees fans tried to pry a foul ball out of the glove of Dodgers’ Mookie Betts. The fans were escorted from their seats by stadium security after that play.
The 11 runs were the most by the Yankees in a World Series game since Game 5 of the 1978 series when they scored 12 against the Dodgers.
Now the Yankees are hoping to do what no other team has done in Major League Baseball history: come back from being down 3-0 in the Fall Classic to win it all.
The Dodgers still just need one more win to claim the championship.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon out of prison, legal trouble not over
With just one week until Election Day, Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House chief strategist and now podcaster, is a free man. Bannon was released from prison on Tuesday, Oct. 29, after serving a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena tied to an investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Bannon is reportedly scheduled to return to hosting his “War Room” podcast on Tuesday, Oct. 29. His return comes amid a neck-and-neck presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Jurors convicted Bannon on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with subpoenas from the U.S. House of Representatives committee dedicated to investigating the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Bannon still faces legal troubles even with his release. He pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy and fraud related to accusations of defrauding donors for the “We Build the Wall” campaign.
He claimed the money would go to erecting a portion of the wall at the U.S. southern border. However, prosecutors argue Bannon used the funds to line his own pockets.
The former White House chief strategist was previously convicted in a similar case in 2020. However, he was pardoned by former President Donald Trump before he left office.
Before serving his sentence, Bannon asserted he was “proud to go to prison.” He also reportedly claimed there was “no chance” Democrats would win the upcoming election without “stealing it.”
He’s the second Trump White House aide to serve prison time for defying a Jan. 6, 2021, investigation subpoena. Jurors also found former White House official Peter Navarro guilty of contempt of U.S. Congress.
He served a four-month sentence and was released from prison in July. Navarro spoke at the Republican National Convention just hours after his release from prison.
Steve Bannon begins 4-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress
Steve Bannon remained defiant as he turned himself in to serve four months in a federal prison Monday, July 1. The longtime Trump ally was convicted of contempt for defying a congressional subpoena from the committee that probed the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
“I’m proud to go to prison,” Bannon said in a press conference before turning himself over to authorities. “I am proud of going to prison today.”
“If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny, if that’s what it takes to stand up to the [Attorney General Merrick] Garland corrupt criminal DOJ, if this is what it takes to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden, I’m proud to do it,” Bannon said.
“I was on a destroyer for four years in the Navy,” Bannon continued.” I am prepared for whatever prison has, right? Our prisons are run very well. The Bureau of Prisons does a great job. I’m prepared to do this, whatever task I do, I’m totally prepared mentally, physically, everything, for prison.”
In an interview on Monday, July 1, former President Trump blamed President Biden for what he claims is a “weaponization” of the justice system. Trump said Biden is “going to pay a big price” for it. Trump’s campaign told ABC News that Trump’s statement meant Biden will lose the election come November.
In 2022, Bannon was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress after he refused to cooperate with a House committee investigating the Capitol riot. Bannon, a former chief strategist for Trump and a prominent figure in right-wing media, initially delayed his prison term through an appeal.
However, after the D.C. Circuit Court upheld his conviction, he was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols to begin his four-month sentence.
Biden issues warning after immunity ruling as Trump looks to overturn conviction
Reaction from President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump after the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on presidential immunity. And Hurricane Beryl strengthens to a Category 5 as it approaches Jamaica. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Biden issues warning after SCOTUS ruling as Trump looks to overturn conviction
In a landmark 6-3 vote along ideological lines the Supreme Court justices ruled Monday, July 1, that former President Donald Trump is entitled to immunity for official acts he took while in office. The effects of the court’s decision will be seen in the coming days.
The high court’s ruling gave Trump some immunity from being criminally prosecuted on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election, however, it did not totally dismiss Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case. The former president is reportedly looking to have his New York trial conviction overturned based on the Supreme Court’s decision.
According to Trump’s legal team, the Manhattan jury’s verdict that found him guilty of falsifying business records should be overturned because the jurors saw evidence during trial that they now consider to be protected. Trump’s lawyers are seeking a delay in Trump’s sentencing so they can have more time to make their case. Trump’s sentencing is currently scheduled for July 11.
In the Supreme Court’s opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “The president is not above the law. But … the president may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers.”
After that decision came down, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social saying, “Big win for our Constitution and democracy. Proud to be an American.”
BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 1, 2024
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden decided the historic ruling warranted a primetime address. In it, he warned of what he called a “dangerous precedent.”
Biden calling the ruling a, “disservice to the people of this nation,” saying the decision means there are “virtually no limits on what a president can do.”
“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America,” the president said. “Each of us is equal before the law. No one, no one is above the law, not even the President of the United States. [With] today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that fundamentally changed for all practical purposes.”
Biden repeated Justice Sonia Sotomayer’s dissent, saying the ruling makes the president “now a king above the law.”
In response, Trump posted that the primetime address was just meant to deflect from Biden’s “horrible campaign performance.”
Steve Bannon begins 4-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress
“I’m proud to go to prison,” he said in a press conference before turning himself over to authorities. “I am proud of going to prison today.”
The longtime Trump ally was convicted of contempt for defying a congressional subpoena from the committee that probed the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.
“If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny, if that’s what it takes to stand up to the [Attorney General Merrick] Garland corrupt criminal DOJ, if this is what it takes to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden, I’m proud to do it,” Bannon said. “I was on a destroyer for four years in the Navy. I am prepared for whatever prison has, right? Our prisons are run very well. The Bureau of Prisons does a great job. I’m prepared to do this, whatever task I do, I’m totally prepared mentally, physically, everything, for prison.”
In an interview Monday, former President Trump blamed President Biden for what he claims is a “weaponization” of the justice system, saying Biden is “going to pay a big price” for it. Trump’s campaign told ABC News Trump’s statement meant Biden will lose the election come November.
Iran, Syria, North Korea sued in connection with Oct. 7 Israel attack
More than 100 victims and families of victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel are suing Iran, Syria and North Korea. They said the countries provided the terrorist organization the money, weapons and instruction to carry out the deadly attack.
📢 BREAKING: ADL filed a federal lawsuit today against Iran, Syria and North Korea for providing material support to Hamas to commit atrocities in Israel on Oct 7, 2023. These state sponsors of terror must be held accountable. 🧵https://t.co/hfIcxLKyz5pic.twitter.com/CUdQWDhQJ5
The lawsuit, which was filed in a New York court, seeks at least $4 billion in damages for the attack. The suit was filed by the Anti-Defamation League — a Jewish advocacy organization — and is the largest case against foreign countries in connection with the attack.
This comes as the Israeli army ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of the southern Gaza city Khan Younis on Monday, July 1, signaling troops are likely to launch a new ground assault into the strip’s second-largest city.
The call to move toward the Al Mawasi Humanitarian Zone does not apply to the patients in the European Hospital or the medical staff working there.
There is no intention to evacuate the European Hospital in the Khan Yunis area. https://t.co/MditW1DJ9g
Hurricane Beryl now a Category 5 storm, heads for Jamaica
Hurricane Beryl is now a Category 5 storm. This is the earliest on record that a hurricane in the Atlantic has reached the highest category there is, with wind speeds above 160 miles per hour.
— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) July 1, 2024
It made landfall on the Caribbean’s Windward Islands on Monday as a Category 4 storm. Many are still without power or water and at least one death has been reported.
Beryl is only the second Category 5 Atlantic storm to be recorded in July.
Biden student loan repayment plan allowed to proceed
In a small victory for the Biden administration, a federal appeals court will allow the Department of Education to move forward with lowering millions of student loan borrowers’ monthly payments in July. The move comes as the administration faces two legal battles over the repayment plan known as SAVE, which launched in 2023.
A federal judge in Kansas issued an injunction blocking the plan from taking effect on July 1. The Department of Justice quickly appealed.
New: The 10th Circuit has GRANTED @usedgov's request to stay the Kansas court's decision to block parts of the SAVE plan. Unclear yet what this will look like for borrowers (ED placed 3M of them on forbearance last week in light of the rulings). pic.twitter.com/XO9EsoQgls
Under SAVE, many borrowers will pay only 5% of their discretionary income toward their debt every month, and anyone making $32,800 dollars or less will have no monthly payment.
On the other income-driven repayment plans, borrowers pay at least 10% of their discretionary income.
After twice breaking the U.S. record for under-18 runners at the Olympic trials, it was confirmed Monday, July 1, Wilson will be joining Team USA at the Paris summer games later this month.
Teenaged phenom Quincy Wilson, 16, is headed to Paris as part of the U.S. men's 4×400 Olympic relay squad, his coach confirmed on Monday.
He's the youngest American male track athlete to appear at an Olympics 👏
Wilson will be part of the team that runs the 4x400m relay, making him the youngest American male track athlete to appear at an Olympics. Wilson’s team will formally be announced next week.
Trump calls for Jan. 6 investigative committee members to be indicted
Donald Trump is calling for the criminal prosecution of members of the congressional Jan. 6 investigative committee, all of whom are his political opponents. The former president expressed his opinion on Truth Social, his social media platform, on Thursday, June 6.
“INDICT THE UNSELECT J6 COMMITTEE FOR ILLEGALLY DELETING AND DESTROYING ALL OF THEIR ‘FINDINGS!’” the former president wrote.
Committee members included former Republican Reps. Liz Cheney, Wyo., and Adam Kinzinger, Ill., and Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Calif., Jamie Raskin, Md., Bennie Thompson, Miss., and others.
Trump made the post after a judge sentenced his former chief strategist Steve Bannon to four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the committee. Bannon remained defiant, however, after a judge handed him the sentence Thursday and ordered Bannon to surrender by July 1.
”There is not a prison built or jail built that will ever shut me up,” Bannon said as he walked out of the courthouse. “All victory to MAGA. We’re going to win this. We’re going to win at the Supreme Court and more importantly, we’re going to win on November 5th in an amazing landslide.”
“It is a Total and Complete American Tragedy that the Crooked Joe Biden Department of Injustice is so desperate to jail Steve Bannon, and every other Republican, for that matter, for not SUBMITTING to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs,” Trump added in his Truth Social post.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., spearheaded a Republican-led investigation into what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, and wrote in his report the original select committee did not preserve some of the evidence.
Committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., also responded to Trump’s calls for their indictment and denied deleting evidence.
“The ex-president threatening to arrest people shows he does not understand, or does not care, about our system of justice,” Lofgren said on CNN.
The committee concluded its investigation with an 845-page report and a criminal referral against Trump to the Justice Department. Members suggested Trump be indicted on charges very similar to those brought forward by special counsel Jack Smith.
In an interview on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Lindell argued that by giving exclusive rights to Fox News, the House speaker is discriminating against other media that want to see the footage too.
“It’s like a cover-up. Why does just Fox get this? So they can cover it up even more? It’s disgusting. All of us, including War Room, we need to see what’s on those tapes. And we need to see all of them.”
The release of the footage to the Fox News team comes after Republicans criticized the Jan. 6 Committee of being biased in what clips they decided to televise in their hearings.
Meanwhile, Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, said nobody should have been given access to the footage. Democrats said it could compromise the security of the Capitol by exposing the placement of cameras throughout the complex.
Trump advisor, Steve Bannon, sentenced to prison, free awaiting appeal
Steve Bannon has been sentenced to four months in prison for criminal contempt of Congress. The longtime adviser to former President Donald Trump was also ordered to pay a $6,500 fine.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said he’s prepared to let Bannon remain free while he appeals his convictions.
Bannon, 68, was sentenced in federal court in Washington Friday morning, after a jury found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the White House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Federal prosecutors were seeking what they describe as a “severe” penalty: six months in jail and a fine of $200,000. In court papers earlier this week, they said Bannon pursued “a bad faith strategy of defiance and contempt.”
Bannon sat quietly and did not react as Judge Nichols delivered the sentence.