Prosecutors in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan urged the judge on Thursday to penalize the defendant for more alleged violations of a gag order limiting what he can say about those involved in the case. Bragg’s lawyers told Judge Juan Merchan that Trump had violated Merchan’s order four more times recently. On Tuesday‚ […] The post Becoming Venezuela: Trump Faces More Violations in Manhattan appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

President Joe Biden finally spoke out on Thursday about the anti-Israel — and often anti-Semitic protests — that have swept through college campuses nationwide‚ drawing a line between peaceful protests and lawlessness. Biden’s remarks‚ which come as Democrats have begun to fret publicly about the impact that widespread and potentially violent protests could have on the 2024 presidential election‚ warned against illegal actions such as vandalism but stopped short of calling out the anti-Israel demonstrations directly. WATCH: Biden on the pro-Hamas chaos on college campuses: &;quot;So‚ let me be clear: peaceful protest in America — violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is. It's against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law.… pic.twitter.com/Cgn8WQJAOD — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 2‚ 2024 “This isn’t a moment for politics. This is a moment for clarity‚” Biden said. “Let me be clear‚ peaceful protest in America — violent protest is not protected‚ peaceful protest is. It’s against the law when violence occurs.” “Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law‚” he continued. “Vandalism‚ trespassing‚ breaking windows‚ shutting down campuses‚ forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations‚ none of this is a peaceful protest.” “Threatening people‚ intimidating people‚ instilling fear in people‚ is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law‚” Biden added. “Dissent is essential to democracy‚ but dissent must never lead to disorder or to deny the rights of others‚ so students can finish the semester and their college education. Look‚ it’s basically a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of what’s right.” Throughout his remarks‚ the president continued to play both sides of the issue — and while he did generically call out those who had engaged in threats‚ vandalism‚ and violence‚ he did not connect those actions to the anti-Israel sentiment that has fueled the majority of the current protests. Instead‚ he once again stated his opposition to hate of any variety – giving “equal weight to anti-Semitism and Islamophobia” in the process. “There should be no place on any campus‚ no place in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind‚ whether it’s anti-Semitism‚ Islamophobia‚ or discrimination against Arab Americans‚ or Palestinian Americans&;#33;” he said. “It’s simply wrong. There’s no place for racism in America. It’s all wrong. It’s un-American.” WATCH: Biden: &;quot;I understand people have strong feelings and deep convictions. In America‚ we respect the right and protect the right for them to express that‚ but it doesn't mean anything goes. It needs to be done without violence‚ without destruction‚ without hate‚ and within the law.… pic.twitter.com/fg0XKqwjo9 — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 2‚ 2024 Critics pointed out that Biden’s statement — for good or bad — should have been made days or even weeks earlier when the protests began to ramp up. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “This statement wouldn’t have been horrible…a week ago. At this point‚ its just meaningless‚ useless‚ and makes him look impotent‚” one said. This statement wouldn't have been horrible…a week ago. At this point‚ its just meaningless‚ useless‚ and makes him look impotent. https://t.co/2wHuRRWPKM — Pradheep J. Shanker‚ M.D. (@neoavatara) May 2‚ 2024 “Biden refused to condemn them‚” the House Republicans added. Biden refused to condemn them. https://t.co/cAGAdFozMq — House Republicans (@HouseGOP) May 2‚ 2024 Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany weighed in as well‚ saying‚ “Biden makes first statement on antisemitic protests in 9 days. If you blinked‚ you might have missed it. It lasted about a minute or so. This is called LEADING FROM BEHIND&;#33;” Biden makes first statement on antisemitic protests in 9 days. If you blinked‚ you might have missed it. It lasted about a minute or so. This is called LEADING FROM BEHIND&;#33; — Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) May 2‚ 2024 “Joe Biden just read off the teleprompter for a few minutes and condemned protests on campus that break the law. Then said all racism is wrong and left the podium. His polling must be worse than what we are seeing in public. He’s trying to both sides the issue and is drowning‚” Outkick’s Clay Travis added. Joe Biden just read off the teleprompter for a few minutes and condemned protests on campus that break the law. Then said all racism is wrong and left the podium. His polling must be worse than what we are seeing in public. He’s trying to both sides the issue and is drowning. — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 2‚ 2024

More than two dozen Republican attorneys general announced challenges on Wednesday to the proposed gun control rule from the Biden administration regulating private firearm sales.  Multiple suits were filed in federal court against the proposal‚ which would require individuals who “earn a profit” selling guns to conduct background checks and have a federal firearms license no matter where or how they sell their merchandise. Republicans say that the proposed regulations‚ put forth by the Justice Department‚ infringe on Second Amendment rights and would make it a felony for family members and friends to sell guns to each other without conducting background checks or having a federal license.  One effort‚ led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton‚ sued the DOJ and the ATF‚ arguing that the ATF doesn’t have the statutory authority to enforce the rule and that it violates the Second and Fifth Amendments.  “Yet again‚ Joe Biden is weaponizing the federal bureaucracy to rip up the Constitution and destroy our citizens’ Second Amendment rights‚” Paxton said. “This is a dramatic escalation of his tyrannical abuse of authority. With today’s lawsuit‚ it is my great honor to defend our Constitutionally-protected freedoms from the out-of-control federal government.” The suit was joined by Louisiana‚ Mississippi‚ Utah‚ the Gun Owners of America‚ the Virginia Citizens Defense League‚ and the Tennessee Firearms Association.  A separate lawsuit‚ led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach‚ also challenges the DOJ and the ATF.  “Biden’s latest attempt to strip away the Second Amendment rights of Americans through ATF regulations will make many law-abiding gun owners felons if they sell a firearm or two to family or friends‚” Kobach said. “This rule is blatantly unconstitutional. We are suing to defend the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.” Kansas was joined by Iowa‚ Montana‚ Alabama‚ Alaska‚ Arkansas‚ Georgia‚ Indiana‚ Idaho‚ Missouri‚ Nebraska‚ New Hampshire‚ North Dakota‚ Oklahoma‚ South Carolina‚ South Dakota‚ Tennessee‚ Virginia‚ West Virginia‚ and Wyoming. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed A third lawsuit against the DOJ and ATF. The Biden administration said it had proposed the rules to implement the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act‚” which added background check stipulations and gave grants for states to enact “red flag” laws. The measure‚ which was backed by 15 Republicans in the Senate and 14 Republicans in the House‚ was the most expansive gun control law signed into law in decades.  “The challenged rule‚ in fact‚ goes far beyond the plain text of the BSCA‚” Florida’s suit says. “It purports to force thousands of law-abiding gun owners to register as federal firearms dealers and navigate a federal bureaucracy as a precondition to engaging in constitutionally protected activity. The challenged rule is unlawful.”

The Michigan Democrat-controlled Senate passed a bill earlier this week that would ban bipartisan election boards from investigating voter fraud and make it more difficult — in some circumstances — to start a recount. The legislation‚ Senate Bill 603‚ was passed along party lines on Tuesday and drew harsh criticism from Republican state lawmakers‚ who say that if the bill becomes law‚ “there’s nothing that can be done” if a board of state canvassers sees or suspects election fraud‚ Bridge Michigan reported. Democrats‚ however‚ argue that voter fraud investigations should be handled by law enforcement. “We’ve got other areas of law that talk about fraud‚ that talk about tampering‚ but when we’re talking about a recount … let’s make sure that what we’re talking about with a recount is the actual re-tally of the votes‚” said Democratic state Sen. Stephanie Chang‚ who introduced the bill. Currently‚ state boards of canvassers — made up of two Democrats and two Republicans — have the authority to investigate suspected voter fraud or ballot tampering. “Senate Bill 603 ends the ability of local officials to investigate potential fraud‚ illegal activity‚ or even ballot tampering during a recount by deleting current provisions in Michigan election law that give this authority to bipartisan county boards of canvassers‚” said Republican state Sen. Ruth Johnson‚ who previously served as Michigan’s Secretary of State. “These are time-honored checks and balances that exist in our system.” “If we want people to have faith in the electoral process‚ we should not be taking away people’s rights to have allegations of election fraud investigated during a recount‚” Johnson added. “There is a process in place now that empowers bipartisan boards of canvassers to play this role‚ and it simply should not be removed from the law.” Along with preventing boards of canvassers from looking into potential election fraud‚ the state Senate bill would also increase the cost of a recount to between $250 and $500‚ Bridge Michigan reported. Candidates are required to pay the amount if they request a recount but are refunded if the election result changes after a recount. Additionally‚ the bill would change the automatic recount threshold from a 2‚000-vote difference to a 0.1% difference‚ which in the 2022 Michigan gubernatorial race would have been 4‚391 votes‚ according to Bridge Michigan. If passed into law‚ the state Senate legislation would allow for a recount in a precinct where the poll book doesn’t balance with the total number of votes counted‚ an issue that has been especially prevalent in Detroit precincts in recent elections. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Republican state Sen. Jim Runestad took his criticism of legislation further‚ saying it would essentially “sanction the potential legal ability to cheat on elections in Michigan‚” The Midwesterner reported. “Michigan Democrats are terrified Biden will implode and drag them down‚” Runestad added. “So today they bet the bank and went all out to codify election fraud into state statute with SB 603.” Michigan is a major battleground state in the upcoming 2024 election‚ where residents will vote for president and for a candidate to fill outgoing Democratic Sen. Debbi Stabenow’s seat. President Joe Biden took the state by more than 154‚000 votes in 2020 after former President Donald Trump won the state by just 10‚000 votes against Hillary Clinton in 2016.