Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino are threats to democracy. The sexual predator shares manipulating videos of Vice President Kamala Harris.
It is clear we must defeat Donald J. Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Rupert Murdoch, Amber Rose, J.D. Vance, Mike Johnson, Mitch McConnell, Hulk Hogan, Candace Owens, Fox and Elon Musk.
They are desperate.
So their latest grievance is the junk food media being in the tank for Kamala Harris.
If the media is in the tank, it's time to run over the noise. I am done with the noise.
Let's move forward. Their tricks and tired tactics are not going to sway Black women.
Black women saved democracy. They will save it again.
The Vice President of the United States is generating momentum and it could be a historic first. We could have the first woman and second African American president.
The far right is so cap right now. They have nothing to stick right now so they're turning to criticizing Harris for her laugh, her husband being white, her dancing, her previous relationships and her coverage.
Trump and his allies are resorting to calling Harris more liberal than Bernie Sanders.
Black separatists are calling her a cop and not an authentic Black woman. They claim she is not a Black American but a Jamaican and Indian woman.
White nationalists are saying she got on her knees to become Vice President. They want to dig into her past relationship with Willie Brown and Montel Williams.
Trump claims she hates Jews. Her husband Doug Emoff is a Jewish American.
Now Elon Musk who owns X (formerly Twitter) is sharing misinformation and is violating the terms he set on the platform. He is a sexual predator who has numerous women held up on non disclosure agreements and silent payments. He has allegedly raped women and young girls.
Musk is a creepy old guy. The junk food media isn't ready to Diddy him yet.
A manipulated video that mimics the voice of Vice President Kamala Harris saying things she did not say is raising concerns about the power of artificial intelligence to mislead with Election Day about three months away.
The video gained attention after tech billionaire Elon Musk shared it on his social media platform X on Friday evening without explicitly noting it was originally released as parody.
The video uses many of the same visuals as a real ad that Harris, the likely Democratic president nominee, released last week launching her campaign. But the video swaps out the voice-over audio with another voice that convincingly impersonates Harris.
“I, Kamala Harris, am your Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate,” the voice says in the video.
Sexual predator and wife beater Steven Crowder makes offensive image of Harris.
It claims Harris is a “diversity hire” because she is a woman and a person of color, and it says she doesn’t know “the first thing about running the country.” The video retains “Harris for President” branding. It also adds in some authentic past clips of Harris.
Mia Ehrenberg, a Harris campaign spokesperson, said in an email to The Associated Press: “We believe the American people want the real freedom, opportunity and security Vice President Harris is offering; not the fake, manipulated lies of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.”
The widely shared video is an example of how lifelike AI-generated images, videos or audio clips have been utilized both to poke fun and to mislead about politics as the United States draws closer to the presidential election. It exposes how, as high-quality AI tools have become far more accessible, there remains a lack of significant federal action so far to regulate their use, leaving rules guiding AI in politics largely to states and social media platforms.
The video also raises questions about how to best handle content that blurs the lines of what is considered an appropriate use of AI, particularly if it falls into the category of satire.
The original user who posted the video, a YouTuber known as Mr Reagan, has disclosed both on YouTube and on X that the manipulated video is a parody. But Musk’s post, which has been viewed more than 123 million times, according to the platform, only includes the caption “This is amazing” with a laughing emoji.
X users who are familiar with the platform may know to click through Musk’s post to the original user’s post, where the disclosure is visible. Musk’s caption does not direct them to do so.
While some participants in X’s “community note” feature to add context to posts have suggested labeling Musk’s post, no such label had been added to it as of Sunday afternoon. Some users online questioned whether his post might violate X’s policies, which say users “may not share synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm.”
The policy has an exception for memes and satire as long as they do not cause “significant confusion about the authenticity of the media.”
Musk endorsed former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, earlier this month. Neither Mr Reagan nor Musk immediately responded to emailed requests for comment Sunday.
Two experts who specialize in AI-generated media reviewed the fake ad’s audio and confirmed that much of it was generated using AI technology.
One of them, University of California, Berkeley, digital forensics expert Hany Farid, said the video shows the power of generative AI and deepfakes.
“The AI-generated voice is very good,” he said in an email. “Even though most people won’t believe it is VP Harris’ voice, the video is that much more powerful when the words are in her voice.”
He said generative AI companies that make voice-cloning tools and other AI tools available to the public should do better to ensure their services are not used in ways that could harm people or democracy.
We not going back!
Rob Weissman, co-president of the advocacy group Public Citizen, disagreed with Farid, saying he thought many people would be fooled by the video.
“I don’t think that’s obviously a joke,” Weissman said in an interview. “I’m certain that most people looking at it don’t assume it’s a joke. The quality isn’t great, but it’s good enough. And precisely because it feeds into preexisting themes that have circulated around her, most people will believe it to be real.”
Weissman, whose organization has advocated for Congress, federal agencies and states to regulate generative AI, said the video is “the kind of thing that we’ve been warning about.”
Other generative AI deepfakes in both the U.S. and elsewhere would have tried to influence voters with misinformation, humor or both. In Slovakia in 2023, fake audio clips impersonated a candidate discussing plans to rig an election and raise the price of beer days before the vote. In Louisiana in 2022, a political action committee’s satirical ad superimposed a Louisiana mayoral candidate’s face onto an actor portraying him as an underachieving high school student.
Congress has yet to pass legislation on AI in politics, and federal agencies have only taken limited steps, leaving most existing U.S. regulation to the states. More than one-third of states have created their own laws regulating the use of AI in campaigns and elections, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Beyond X, other social media companies also have created policies regarding synthetic and manipulated media shared on their platforms. Users on the video platform YouTube, for example, must reveal whether they have used generative artificial intelligence to create videos or face suspension.
He was supposed to be the smartest guy in the room.
Americans are starting to get to know Vice President Kamala Harris and Ohio senator James David Vance. Both of them are supporters of Israel and still run on this notion that the apartheid ethnostate is defending itself while still conducting illegal war crimes in four sovereign countries.
Harris is 59 years old. She is the first African American, first Asian American, first woman to be elected Vice President of the United States and second woman to be a presidential nominee of a major political party.
Her chances are now 49% and Trump is 51%.
Harris is now being bombarded with racially offensive, misysognist conspiracy theories.
Her historic run is regarded by the far right as DEI which is code for.....!
Vance is 39 years old. He is a U.S. Senator from Ohio. He is one of the youngest members of the Senate. Katie Britt, Jon Osoff, Tom Cotton, Eric Schmitt, Markwayne Mullin, Laphonza Butler, Kyrsten Sinema and Josh Hawley are also in this group.
Vance is getting the attention for saying shit.
Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States continues to act like he is in charge. President Joe Biden is the current president.
On the campaign trail, Trump had promised that he will enact an order to keep police officers immunity valid in controversial incidents. He wants to keep police officers from being held accountable in killing suspects or civilians while investigating crime.
Vance aimed at Harris for being childless. He took aim at childless women.
During a 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, Vance — now former President Donald Trump’s running mate — said Harris was one of the “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too.” Vance added, “If you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.”
Harris has no children but is step mom to Doug Emhoff's children.
It makes clear Vance had attacked Taylor Swift, Jennifer Anniston, Paula Abdul, Ellen DeGeneres, Tracee Ellis Ross, Miley Cyrus, Mary J. Blige, Stephanie Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Marisa Tomei, Megan Mullally, Sarah Paulson and numerous women who chose to not have children.
Vance went to Megyn Kelly, a notorious white nationalist who brought down Roger Ailes but ended up bringing herself down with her racist rants. She made inappropriate remarks about Harris. She claimed Harris got on her knees to get where she's at.
We are family.
Vance is doubling down on remarks he made in 2021 about "childless cat ladies" running the country that sparked backlash this week.
Vance told SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show" in an interview that aired Friday: “Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment. I’ve got nothing against cats" and then blamed the media for "focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance of what I actually said.”
Vance told Kelly in Friday's interview, “It’s not a criticism of people who don’t have children. I explicitly said in my remarks ... this is not about criticizing people who for various reasons don’t have kids. This is about criticizing the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-child.”
Vance also accused the media of wanting "to attack me and [wanting] me to back down," before adding that "what this is fundamentally about [is] the Democrats in the past five to 10 years, Megyn, they have become anti-family."
Vance's 2021 remarks resurfaced this week and quickly drew criticism from celebrities, politicians and members of Harris' family. Some of the criticism drew comparisons between Vance's "childless" comments and his stance on abortion rights and reproductive health care.
J.D. Vance is the new Sarah Palin.
Earlier this week, after Vance's 2021 comments resurfaced, actress Jennifer Aniston was one of the highest-profile names to criticize the senator, posting on her Instagram Stories: "I truly can’t believe this is coming from a potential VP of The United States."
"All I can say is ... Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day. I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too," Aniston added.
Harris' stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff also posted on Instagram, writing "How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like Cole and I?," referring to her brother Cole Emhoff.
Ella Emhoff added, "I love my three parents."
Her comments were posted over an image of a statement her mother, Kerstin Emhoff, gave to news outlets, saying: "For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I. She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
Ohio prosecutors are pushing for life on three teen suspects who killed Alexa Stakely.
Three teens are being criminally charged for the murder of a Columbus, Ohio woman who died trying to stop her vehicle from being taken with her 6-year old son inside.
Alexa Stakely died trying to stop a teen from stealing her vehicle. Since the other two were involved in the crime, they were criminally charged as accessory to murder.
The 19-year old and two 16-year olds are facing the possibility of 25 to LIFE in the iron college thanks to their criminal conduct. The 28 year was a single mother who had a six-year old son in the backseat when the teen jumped into the vehicle and tried to pull off with Stakely on the hood.
When he accelerated she ended up falling off and suffering blunt force trauma.
The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office wants the two 16-year old named and charged as adults. The 19-year old was named Gerald Dowling was given a $10 million get out card.
He is currently in lockup while the other two are in juvie.
In Ohio, a murder charge by a teenage between 14 to 18 will be determined as a probable cause/competency case. If the two are to be charged as adults, they will be named by the junk food media and held in juvie until conviction. Once convicted, they will serve partial in juvie before transfer to the iron college where they will be facing 25 to LIFE.
Stakely was a teacher at a Canal Winchester school. She was a loving mother, caring about students and had a passion for helping others.
He did not operate the vehicle but his participation in the kidnapping and murder has this man facing LIFE if convicted.
One of the teens had a conscience. He confessed to his parents and the law after they were closing in on them. The teen told the law that he and two others were looking for a vehicle to steal when they saw Stakely's Honda, police said. As the two friends watched, the teen said he got into Stakely's SUV and was about to drive off when she appeared in front of the vehicle.
The 16-year-old said he panicked and began driving off, hitting Stakely. He then abandoned the SUV and rejoined the other two on foot.
Later Wednesday evening, police identified and interviewed a second 16-year-old who they said admitted to being present during the incident.
The two 16-year-olds appeared in juvenile court on Thursday.
“These are the cases that we focus the most attention on. Not only for the seriousness of the event and the impact on the victims, but what dangers may be presented to the community,” said Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Pete Chimbidis.
The two teens must have a probable cause hearing before they are bound to adult court. They will be held in the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Facility until their next hearing on Monday. If probable cause is found, the teens will be directly bound over to court.
The suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If the media is in the tank for Kamala Harris, then so be it.
The Sean Hannity Word Vomit is coming. We will discuss the most annoying, most arrogant, most ignorant far right conspiracy theorist who continues to be an anchor on Fox.
Since his hiring in 1996, Sean "Softball" Hannity has became the Republicans most reliable source for conspiracy theories about Democrats. He has been pushing noise about Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out.
Softball Hannity will start his anti-Black campaign by bringing on the crispy coons.
Leo Terrell, CJ Pearson, Christian Walker, Terrence K. Williams, Rochelle "Silk" Robinson, Mark Burns, Candace Owens, Andrew Tate, David Clarke, Charlamagne tha God, Stephen A. Smith, Kevin Jackson, Jesse Lee Peterson and the Hodge Twins are notable examples Black extremists willing to coon for Trump.
On Friday, former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama endorsed Harris and it shocked the far right. The far right were gossiping about how Biden and Obama were not keen on a Harris run.
The endorsement, announced Friday in a video showing Harris accepting a joint phone call from the former first couple, comes as Harris builds momentum as their party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse his second-in-command against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.
It also highlights the friendship and potentially historic link between the nation’s first Black president and the first woman, first Black woman and first person of Asian descent to serve as vice president, who is now vying to break those barriers at the presidential rank.
“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” the former president told Harris, who is shown taking the call as she walks backstage at an event, trailed by a Secret Service agent.
Said Michelle Obama, “I can’t have this phone call without saying to my girl, Kamala, I am proud of you.
“This is going to be historic,” she added.
Harris, who has known the Obamas since before his election in 2008, thanked them for their friendship and said she looks forward to “getting there, being on the road” with them in the three-month blitz before Election Day on Nov. 5.
“We’re gonna have some fun with this too, aren’t we?” Harris said.
The Obamas are perhaps the last major party figures to endorse Harris formally, a reflection of the former president’s desire to remain, at least publicly, a party elder operating above the fray. The Obamas remain prodigious fundraising draws and popular surrogates at large campaign events for Democratic candidates.
According to an Associated Press survey, Harris already has secured the public support of a majority of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, which begins Aug. 19 in Chicago. The Democratic National Committee expects to hold a virtual nominating vote that would, by Aug. 7, make Harris and a yet-to-be-named running mate the official Democratic ticket.
Biden endorsed Harris within an hour of announcing his decision Sunday to end his campaign amid widespread concern about the 81-year-old president’s ability to defeat Trump. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton followed in the days after.
The Obamas, however, trod carefully as Harris secured the delegate commitments, made the rounds among core Democratic constituencies and raised more than $120 million. The public caution tracks how the former president handled the weeks between Biden’s debate debacle against Trump and the president’s eventual decision to end his campaign: Barack Obama was a certain presence in the party’s maneuvers, but he operated quietly.
Obama’s initial statement after Biden’s announcement did not mention Harris. Instead, he spoke generically about coming up with a nominee to succeed Biden: “I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” the former president wrote.
Both Obamas campaigned separately for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, including large rallies on the closing weekends before Election Day. They delivered key speeches at the Democrats’ convention in 2020, a virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic. The former president’s speech was especially notable because he unveiled a full-throated attack on Trump as a threat to democracy, an argument that endures as part of Harris’ campaign.
If former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush hint they'll support Harris, Republicans will freak out and it will be curtains for Trump.
Before there was Ashley Todd and Tara Reade, there is Anna Ayala. The woman who went to the iron college after putting a human finger in a Wendy's chili was interviewed by the New York Times. She plans on voting for Trump.
Winners and losers of 2024.
Back in 2005, Wendy's was in a huge public relations disaster. A woman claimed she found a portion of a human finger inside a Dave's Homestyle Chili. It rocked the nation and the world. It was inside a San Jose Wendy's restaurant. Anna Ayala tried to sue Wendy's and it literally backfired when the man who lost his finger ratted the woman, her husband and their cousin out.
Wendy's suffered a $23 million loss due to customers refusing to eat there because of fears that the company allowed it to happen.
The U.S. Justice Department teamed up with the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the processing plant where Wendy's made their chili. They also talked to workers at the restaurant and the California state health agency did a through search of the restaurant. Workers were asked to checked their fingers and open up chili cans.
It was two weeks of a nightmare for Wendy's.
After an investigation by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office and the San Jose Police Department, it was determined that the finger did not come from a Wendy's employee, or from any employee at the facilities that provided ingredients for the chili. Though early reports suggested that the finger was "fully cooked," the Santa Clara County coroner's office initially concluded that the finger "was not consistent with an object that had been cooked in chili at 170 degrees for three hours."
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated Ayala's home in Las Vegas, Nevada but did not disclose details on their investigation. Rumors spread that Ayala got the finger from a friend in her hometown who had recently lost a finger in a "work-related accident" which they later found out was the case. Ayala claimed that the police treated her and her family "like terrorists," acting against her violently, but neighbors downplayed the event. It was later discovered that she had previously filed numerous lawsuits against various retail establishments.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested Ayala on April 21, 2005, taking her to the Clark County Detention Center. Ayala was charged with felony attempted grand larceny and grand theft. The grand theft charge was allegedly in connection with the fraudulent sale of a San Jose mobile home, between September 2002 and November 2003, that Ayala did not own; in reality, it was owned by her live-in boyfriend, according to a statement filed by San Jose Police Detective Albert Morales. The attempted grand larceny charge was connected to the Wendy's chili finger case; a penalty enhancement was issued for inflicting more than $2.5 million in losses on Wendy's as a result of plummeting sales.
Prosecutors portrayed Ayala as a scam artist with a penchant for filing lawsuits. According to court records, tests indicated that the finger had not been cooked in the chili. They did not indicate where they believed the finger came from.
At a press conference held in San Jose, on April 22, 2005, local Wendy's franchise holder Joseph Desmond urged people to "please come back to Wendy's because we do serve wonderful hamburgers, shakes and everything else." Wendy's announced that, on that weekend, it would offer a free Frosty to all Bay Area customers as a show of goodwill and commitment in the wake of its investigation. Wendy's later expanded its offer of free Frosties nationwide.
Wendy's is a company based out of the Columbus, Ohio suburb of Dublin. The company operate over 3,000 restaurants worldwide.
On May 13, 2005, police announced that they had identified the finger as belonging to Brian Paul Rossiter, an associate of Ayala's husband. Rossiter had lost his finger in an industrial accident at an asphalt company in December 2004 and had subsequently sold the finger to Ayala's husband in order to settle a debt. Police received the information from an undisclosed caller to the Wendy's hotline, later discovered to be Rossiter himself.
On September 9, 2005, in San Jose, Ayala and her husband, Jaime Plascencia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to file a false claim and attempted grand theft.[citation needed] Ayala was subsequently banned for life from all Wendy's locations.
On January 18, 2006, Ayala was sentenced to nine years in the iron college. Her husband, who supplied the finger, was sentenced to 12 years, 4 months in the iron college. The difference in their sentences' lengths was due to other unrelated criminal convictions, for which only one or the other defendant had been charged.
In her appeal to reduce her sentence, the Sixth District Court of Appeal agreed with her, saying that Judge Edward Davila's decision to impose five years for "aggravating circumstances" was based on his own fact-finding and not on a jury's conclusions.
Ayala had a history of lawsuits, filing at least 13 different civil actions in California and Nevada which involved her or her children, some of which involved out-of-court cash settlements. In 1998, Ayala brought a lawsuit against San Jose-based La Oferta Review Newspaper for sexual harassment. The case was dropped.
In 2004, she lost a suit against a San Jose car dealership, General Motors Corp. and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, claiming that a wheel fell off her car. The suit was dismissed with prejudice after she fired her attorney and failed to attend court or submit paperwork.
In 2004, Ayala claimed she had won a suit against fast-food restaurant chain El Pollo Loco in which she was awarded $30,000 in damages for medical expenses after her daughter, Genesis, contracted salmonella poisoning after eating at one of their Las Vegas-area restaurants. In mid-April 2004, El Pollo Loco spokeswoman Julie Weeks disputed this, saying that the company reviewed her claim and paid her nothing.
Finger chili lady supports the maxi pad old guy Trump.
In 2013, Ayala made international headlines again after being sentenced to two years in the iron college for being an accessory to a felony, filing a false police report and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In October 2012, her son, Guadalupe Reyes, accidentally shot himself in the ankle. Reyes was not allowed to have the gun because he was on parole. Ayala filed a false police report, telling officers that her son had been shot in the ankle by two men. According to police, Reyes eventually cracked during questioning and admitted that he had shot himself, leading to his and Ayala's arrests.
Now she is back in the news.
I want to say Tara Reade should have taken Anna Ayala with her. Reade fled to Russia to escape possible criminal charges of failing to register as a foreign agent and the nearly $100,000 federal court ruling to pay the New York Times after she tried to sue the paper for privacy invasion.
The New York Times so eager to boast former president Donald J. Trump talked to Ayala about the election and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party president candidate who is running in place of President Joe Biden.
In 2024, Ayala was briefly quoted by The New York Times in an election polling-related story. The Times later deleted the quotation.
Ayala was interviewed about her voting tendencies and was quoted saying she planned to vote for Trump in November, despite being a Democrat.
The section later appeared to be removed from the online piece, and the newspaper issued the following correction: “The Times removed comments from one voter in an earlier version of this article after learning that the person had been convicted in an extortion scheme in which she made fraudulent claims.”
I love watching trains. I enjoy looking at freight and passenger trains pass through.
The only thing I enjoy about trains is not being close to it and respecting the rail.
Throwing objects from bridges onto tracks, tampering with switches or signals, tagging rail cars, hitchhiking (hobo), trying to beat the train, walking abandoned tracks, walking on tressels, tampering with railroad equipment and riding a train on the outside will be considered extremely dangerous.
Again, if you want to be a thrill seeker, get life insurance.
You hear how the junk food media talks about Black teens stealing Kia and Hyundai cars.
Well here are white teens literally trying to derail trains and vandalizing them.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The train does not stop on a dime. It takes about 1-2 miles to make a complete stop.
Why risk your life, your freedom and your wallet to mess with a train?
A Nebraska teenager has been charged with two felony counts of criminal mischief after he was accused of causing a train to derail, recording the crash and posting the video on YouTube, according to court records.
The 17-year-old was charged in Lancaster County Juvenile Court on Wednesday, but prosecutors have filed a motion to have the case transferred to adult court.
An investigator with BNSF Railway said in court documents that the teenager alerted authorities to the derailment and asked the investigator who arrived what caused the crash.
He is accused of tampering with a rail and causing two locomotives and five loaded BNSF cars to jump the rails in Bennet on April 21.
It wasn’t clear whether the teen had retained an attorney, and his parents couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
While the railcars remained upright, one crashed into an empty coal car, causing $350,000 in damage, an investigator for the rail company said in court records.
In the moments leading up to the crash, the conductor tried to make an emergency stop but ran out of time before the collision, court records show.
The train conductor told a BNSF investigator that a misaligned switch led to the crash and that a padlock that was supposed to be attached to the switch was missing, the documents said.
BNSF Railway operates trains on the rail to supply coal to a power plant in Nebraska City.
The teenager, who reported the derailment to authorities, approached an investigator after the crash and asked what caused it. When the investigator said it was undetermined, he responded that “obviously a switch was flipped the wrong way,” according to court records.
He told the investigator he was a train enthusiast and showed him the video he had shot of the derailment, the records said.
Lancaster County Attorney Patrick F. Condon declined to comment.
The teen denied trespassing in the area and tampering with the switch, but the investigator pointed out in the documents that he knew where the switch was and how it worked.
Authorities later discovered that a tripod had been set up near the accident site just four minutes before the train derailed, court records show.
"In the days following the derailment, a video of the derailment was posted to YouTube account ZUnit06, which is believed be associated with [the teen]," an investigator said in the document. "This account features numerous videos of trains filmed in Bennet, NE and other locations in Lancaster County, NE."
The investigator said a video posted April 23 was titled "Loaded BNSF Arbor Collides and Derails In Bennet, NE!"
Large crowds need parking. Unfortunately, they choose to park in private lots and got their vehicles towed.
Will former president Donald J. Trump pay for his supporters towing fees?
After all, he is rich and his supporters will do anything for him.
Apparently, MAGA supporters think it's perfectly fine for them to park in private lots.
Dunkin, the donut and coffee restaurant is a franchise. The owners of the Charlotte, North Carolina location saw there was no inside traffic and they parked in spots that should be reserved for any customers entering or dining inside Dunkin.
Looks like they hopped on the phone and called the towing company to have vehicles towed from the property.
Now supporters are upset they have to pay the $500 fee to get their vehicles out.
They likely blaming Vice President Kamala Harris, Charlotte-Mecklenburg mayor Vi Lyles and the left for their woes.
Now I have discussed predatory towing companies in past posts. This is an act where towing companies have spotters survey contracted properties for vehicles that go past the acclaimed time. They contact the tow truck operator and within minutes the vehicle is towed and the owner returns to seeing it gone. They contact the company and the towing company forces a hefty fee to release the vehicle. If the vehicle is not released, the towing company would confiscate properties and up staying fees.
It is a shady act that should be looked at by the U.S. Justice Department, Department of Transportation and state agencies.
The Charlotte rally was the former president's first public campaign event since President Joe Biden's exit from the 2024 race and since the assassination attempt on Trump.
The Secret Service has reportedly recommended no more outdoor rallies for the former president after the assassination attempt.
It's time for Dunkin.
Once the rally ended, drivers were stunned to find their vehicles had been towed.
Drivers told WBTV the manager of the Dunkin’ allowed them to leave their cars in the lot during the rally. However, when asked for comment, they said several people were told they could not park there and that signs on the property indicate no parking for non-customers.
Tow trucks reportedly showed up and began removing vehicles from the parking lot during the rally.
"The managers inside promised that they could park here," Zander DeSoto, a Trump rally attendee, told WBTV. "Some of the people here even gave money to the people inside."
To make matters worse, people whose vehicles were towed from the Dunkin' parking lot had to pay hundreds of dollars to a towing company to get their cars back.
"Something very fishy [is] going on here because I’ve never seen anything like this happen before," one attendee told WBTV.
Another man said when he confronted the Dunkin’ manager, the shop’s employees locked the doors and refused to exit.
"The whole parking lot is gone … everybody," he explained. "They locked the doors. They won’t answer our calls, and they won’t even answer at the window."
One family told WBTV they traveled over two hours to attend the rally. And when they walked back to their car afterward, it was gone.
Gotcha Towing & Recovery, the company tasked with towing vehicles from the parking lot, told WBTV there was a sign warning that illegally parked cars would be removed.
The towing company added that the manager of the store contacted the business asking it to pull the vehicles off the property. The only way people could get their cars was to pay a $380 towing fee.
Fox News Digital reached out to Gotcha Towing & Recovery, which refused to comment.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Dunkin' for comment.
Gotcha Towing provides service to the Triad and Greater Charlotte area with a stellar reputation. Gotcha Towing works with local police departments, universities, apartment communities, financial institutions, and auto shops. Customers are appreciative to see clean newer model trucks pull up to service their vehicle.
The U.S. Vice President and Democratic presumptive nominee releases her first campaign ad.
Former president Donald J. Trump claims that Vice President Kamala Harris is hateful towards the Jews. I find it quite funny that the junk food media isn't talking about the cognitive abilities of the former president.
Harris is married to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, the first Jewish American man to hold the position. He is a lawyer, activist and husband of two children.
Harris is a supporter of Israel. Trump, President Joe Biden, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Nicole Shanahan also support Israel as well.
Harris is more likely to be a headache to fascist leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu is planning to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Republicans are seething that Harris refused to be a part of that charade on Thursday.
Trump, the oldest candidate running is now desperate. He is hoping there will be something that drive Republican momentum up. He unleashed a barrage of attack lines Wednesday against his likely new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he called his “new victim to defeat” and accused of deceiving the public about Biden’s ability to run for a second term.
The rally in Charlotte, North Carolina marked his first public campaign event since Biden dropped out of the 2024 matchup and Harris became the Democrats’ likely nominee. The rally concluded minutes before Biden addressed the nation to explain he dropped his reelection bid to “pass the torch” to Harris, who is 22 years younger than him.
“So now we have a new victim to defeat: Lyin’ Kamala Harris,” Trump said, labeling her “the most incompetent and far-left vice president in American history.”
Trump called her a “radical left lunatic” and said she was “crazy” for her positions on abortion and on immigration. He also mispronounced her first name repeatedly, a denigrating approach to the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent likely to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.
Trump’s speech signaled the next stage for the campaign may be especially brutal and personal, even as some GOP leaders warned Republican allies not to use overtly racist and sexist attacks against Harris.
Trump has ramped up his criticism of the vice president since Biden’s abrupt departure, calling Harris “the same as Biden but much more radical.”
He blamed her for what he portrays as the Biden administration’s failures, particularly security along the U.S.-Mexico border. On Wednesday, the speakers who appeared on stage before the Republican nominee attacked Harris’ record on the border, highlighting she was tasked with leading a White House effort to tackle migration issues. Harris’ name was met with boos several times during the speeches.
“She was assigned that, she was given that task, and she failed,” said Brandon Judd, former president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents agents.
Trump and Vance were caught off guard.
Trump also accused Harris of being just as responsible for Biden’s policies at the U.S.-Mexico border, which saw illegal crossing arrests reach record highs at the end of 2023 and repeated his pledge to conduct mass deportations with the help of local police.
“Kamala’s deadly destruction of America’s borders is completely and totally disqualifying. She shouldn’t be allowed to run for president with what she’s done,” Trump told supporters.
Harris, meanwhile, spent Wednesday in Indiana, telling members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta that “we are not playing around” and asked for their help in electing her president in November, an election she characterized as “a choice between two different visions for our nation, one focused on the future, the other focused on the past.”
Harris’ campaign released a statement after Trump’s speech describing it as “unhinged, weird and rambling.”
“Unity is over for Donald Trump,” said campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa, referring to unity pledges made during the Republican National Convention.
Harris is expected to make abortion a key part of her campaign, looking to present herself to voters as someone who will fight against abortion restrictions. Earlier this week, she said she “trusts women to make decisions about their own bodies.”
Trump has hedged on plans for an expected debate with Harris, first saying that he wanted Fox News, not ABC, to host the matchup he had originally scheduled for September with Biden. On Tuesday, Trump appeared to tweak that message again, saying on a call with reporters that he’d like to debate Harris “more than once” but not committing to appearing at the debate currently on the books and saying he’d only agreed to debate Biden twice, not Harris.
Quietly, Republicans have spoken about how subbing Harris in for Biden nullifies a portion of their party’s argument in favor of Trump’s vitality and vigor.
At 81, Biden would have been the oldest presidential nominee heading into a general election. Now, the 78-year-old Trump occupies that slot. Harris, 59, has launched a campaign that at least in some corners appears to be stoking interest among the younger voters who could be key in deciding an anticipated close general election.
Trump’s stop in North Carolina shows he’s concerned about keeping the state in his column this November, even as his team reaches for wins in traditionally Democratic-leaning states like Minnesota, which Trump is set to visit on Saturday.
North Carolina is a state Trump carried in both his previous campaigns but by less than 1.5 percentage points over Biden in 2020, the closest margin of any state Trump won. Trump stumped heavily in North Carolina even as the COVID-19 pandemic wore on, while Biden largely kept off the physical campaign trail and did not personally visit the state in the last 16 days of the election.
This year, Trump had planned to hold his first rally since the start of his hush money trial in Fayetteville, but that event was called off due to inclement weather. Trump called in from his private plane instead.
Democrats also have been working to win North Carolina, where the party’s most recent presidential win was Barack Obama’s 2008 victory, despite recent GOP dominance.
Biden held a campaign event in Raleigh the day after his disastrous June debate with Trump. While he was much more forceful in that appearance than he was on the debate stage, it did not help much to quell the growing concern from members of his party about his ability to win the White House again.
Trump’s Charlotte event was his second campaign rally since a July 13 assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. Days later, Trump accepted the GOP presidential nomination and gave a speech at the Republican National Convention, where his ear — injured in the shooting — was bandaged.
The Charlotte rally, like one held Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was held in an indoor arena. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said it’s “to be determined” if the campaign will no longer hold outdoor rallies due to security concerns.
Biden delivers his first address since dropping out.
I strongly believe that President Joe Biden would have beaten former president Donald J. Trump if the election was today. However, the noise from his own party to drop out grew and the president couldn't take it anymore.
Now Biden has dropped out and he quickly backed his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris to carry on. Now she is tasked to bridge the party and unify it. She and her future running mate must take on Trump and J.D. Vance in November.
Tonight, Biden confirms he will be a lame duck.
"I revere this office, but I love my country more. The defense of democracy is more important than any title," Biden said. "I draw strength and find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’”
It is rare for a president to relinquish power voluntarily, without the force of rejection by the electorate or the limits of the Constitution. Biden, who acceded to heavy pressure from within his own party to step aside as a candidate, cast his choice as one made in the interest of the nation and called on Americans to join him to "preserve our democracy."
He and other Democrats consistently argue that former President Donald Trump, whose refusal to concede after he lost the 2020 election to Biden culminated in a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to stop the certification process, is a threat to democracy.
"America’s going to have to choose between moving forward or backward," Biden said, without directly mentioning Trump. "Between hope and hate. Between unity and division."
He added, "Our republic is now in your hands."
The speech, which came three days after he dropped his bid, is the beginning of Biden's efforts to shape his legacy following a disastrous debate performance in late June that left members of his party calling for him to step off the campaign trail and allow another candidate to run against Trump. Many Democrats believed Biden's bumbling debate performance and halting push to clean it up made his path to re-election impossible.
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation," Biden said in remarks delivered in a low tone and, at times, in a halting fashion. "That is the best way to unite our nation."
At a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday night, Trump went after his former opponent. "Three days ago, we officially defeated the worst president in the history of our country, crooked Joe Biden," he said.
Biden abandoned his re-election campaign early Sunday afternoon, announcing the decision in a post on X that he followed about half an hour later with an endorsement of his vice president, Kamala Harris, for the Democratic presidential nomination.
She quickly consolidated support from within their party and is expected to win a virtual roll call of Democratic delegates — perhaps without opposition — as early as Aug. 1 and no later than Aug. 7.
Biden offered praise for Harris on Wednesday night.
"She’s experienced, she’s tough, she’s capable," Biden said. "She’s been an incredible partner to me and leader for our country."
In leaving the nomination to her, Biden became the first eligible incumbent to cede his party's presidential nod since Lyndon Johnson in 1968. That was two years before Biden first ran for office in Delaware, a New Castle County Council seat that he won.
Two years later, at age 29, he defeated Republican Sen. Caleb Boggs in a tightly contested campaign. Biden would win six more terms in the Senate — where he was chairman of the Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees at different times — with the last victory coming the same year, 2008, he was elected vice president. Along with President Barack Obama, Biden won re-election as vice president in 2012. He came out of retirement to defeat a crowded field of rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and ultimately beat Trump that November.
His decision to retire rather than remain on the 2024 ballot means he will finish his career undefeated in general elections — though he ran and lost in presidential primaries in 1988 and 2008. It also brings to an end a career focused on the presidency. Biden first contemplated running for the Oval Office in the first election in which he was old enough — 1980 — and at least considered bids in most of the years when no Democratic incumbent was on the ballot.
Once regarded as a centrist within his party, Biden won support from progressives in Congress early on in his administration. He and his Democratic allies credit him with enacting the most sweeping domestic agenda since the Johnson administration — a claim that is hard to measure and with which critics take issue.
No matter the metric, Biden signed into law major measures with profound effects on the country, including a nearly $2 trillion Covid-relief measure, a trillion-dollar infrastructure package and a bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act that included significant provisions aimed at controlling climate change.
In addition to putting Harris — the first woman, first Black woman and first Asian American person to be vice president — on his ticket, he appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman confirmed to the Supreme Court.
Biden said Wednesday night that his record "merited a second term."
But, he said, "nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition."
Biden pledged to pursue his agenda until a new president is sworn in on Jan. 20.
“Over the next six months I will be focused on doing my job as president," he said. "That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights — from the right to vote to the right to choose.”
He also nodded to what he sees as the danger of a second Trump presidency in an implicit call for Americans to reject his longtime rival.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule," he said. "The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
I listened to one hour of a foreign leader attack our citizens. I listened to a foreign leader use props, enshrine President Joe Biden, former president Donald J. Trump and many of our lawmakers as loyalists to a foreign country. I listened to a foreign leader instigate conflict with Iran. A foreign leader willing to put America in another conflict.
Not to mention the constant standing ovations.
Our own lawmakers are quick to condemn one of their own for opposing the propaganda.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defied Biden by inviting Benjamin Netanyahu to speak at a Joint Session of Congress. The Qatari government is fuming at Netanyahu.
The controversial prime minister of Israel once again delayed negotiations between the regime and Hamas, a Gaza-based resistance organization. The Israelis and Americans view Hamas as terrorists. I refuse to acknowledge Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Negotiations for a ceasefire have stalled for the umpteenth time because Israel continues to move the goalposts and show no fucking interest in peace talks.
It is colonialist rhetoric and white supremacist talking points. Calling protesters useful idiots, claiming those who are oppose to Israel as antisemitics and accusing Iran of being responsible for American opinions of Israel are the talking points of white privilege, Jewish supremacy and narrow minded, racist view of the Middle East. Netanyahu has delegitimized the ongoing conflict instigated by Israel as a fight between "good and evil."
This regime is carrying out the Nakba. An event that occurred over 70 years ago.
To this day, Israel has continued to build illegal settlements, engage in an apartheid, kill innocent civilians, jail Palestinian children through unlawful military tribunals, torture detained people, sodomize/rape/humiliate civilians, attack non Jewish civilians and continue a war where many view this a genocide.
To invite a foreign leader to speak on behalf of a country that most of the world views as a hostile entity shows how the United States has lost its credibility.
Netanyahu used the high-profile address to a joint meeting of Congress to emphasize longstanding and close ties between the United States and Israel. But the speech put in sharp relief the divisions in American society stirred by the war, with dozens of Democratic lawmakers boycotting the address and thousands of protesters outside the Capitol condemning the war and the humanitarian crisis created by it.
Some of the protests near the Capitol turned chaotic. That included one within a few hundred yards of the tightly guarded Capitol grounds, at Union Station, where protesters spray-painted marble statuary and replaced American flags with Palestinian ones. Officers on streets surrounding the Capitol brawled with demonstrators, swinging batons and spraying tear gas.
They can't handle the truth.
All free speech and minor vandalism. Stuff that many of these scumbag Zionist view as arrestable and want protesters deported. The so called America First lawmakers are quick to support a foreign country over their own.
Johnson even warned lawmakers and viewers that they could face arrest if they interrupt the Netanyahu speech. Wow, our country emboldened to Israel.
Speaking for nearly an hour to frequent applause from U.S. lawmakers, as well as stony silence from many leading Democrats, Netanyahu said the U.S. has a shared interest in his country’s fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups.
“America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together something really simple happens: We win, they lose,” said Netanyahu, who wore a yellow pin expressing solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
But the Israeli leader soon pivoted to a darker tone as he derided those protesting the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the U.S., gesturing to demonstrations happening on the streets outside the Capitol. He called protesters “useful idiots” for Israel’s adversaries.
Netanyahu — making his first trip abroad since the war started — made no direct mention of months of U.S.-led mediation for a cease-fire and hostage-release. His remarks did not appear to close the door on a deal but showed no sign he was eager for one.
“Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’s military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home,” he said. “That’s what total victory means. And we will settle for nothing less.”
Hostages freed from Gaza and families of those still in captivity listened in the House chamber. At least five of them rose to display T-shirts with slogans demanding an end to the war and the freeing of remaining hostages. Security officers removed the five.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American serving Congress, went a step further, holding a sign that said “WAR CRIMINAL” on one side and “GUILTY OF GENOCIDE” on the other. Tlaib is one of Netanyahu’s most strident critics in Congress and was censured for her comments last year against the Israel-Hamas war, which has killed more than 39,000 in Gaza.
She has relatives in the West Bank and represents a Michigan district with many Palestinian Americans.
Netanyahu steered away from discussing efforts by the United States and Arab allies to negotiate an end to the fighting and a release of surviving hostages seized by Hamas-led militants. He accused American protesters of the war of standing with the militants who he said killed babies.
“These protesters that stand with them, they should be ashamed of themselves,” he said. Some 1,200 people in Israel were killed in the Oct. 7 attack that started the war.
Netanyahu — who is frequently accused of wading into U.S. politics in favor of conservative and Republican causes — started his remarks with praise of President Joe Biden. But he turned to lavishing praise on former president and current presidential contender Donald Trump “for all he’s done for Israel.”
Jewish protesters against Israel.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, and with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Andy Barr praised the prime minister’s speech as an exhortation to see Israeli and American interests as intertwined.
“Why should members of Congress, why should the American people defend Israel in their moment of need? Because it is in the national security interest of the United States to defeat Hamas and other Iranian proxies,” Barr said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, said Netanyahu’s speech was made for Trump’s GOP.
“We didn’t hear anything about meaningful progress towards a bilateral cease-fire in return for hostages. We didn’t hear anything about peace,” he said.
The families of American hostages being held in Gaza said they were “profoundly disappointed” by Netanyahu’s speech. In a joint statement, the families said he “failed to commit to the hostage deal that is now on the table even though Israel’s senior defense and intelligence officials have called on him to do so.”
Eight Americans are believed to be held by Hamas, including three who were killed.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who boycotted the speech, called Netanyahu’s speech “the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress.”
Delivering the speech during Israel’s evening prime time, Netanyahu also had an eye on the audience back home. Netanyahu, whose popularity has plummeted from its pre-war levels, aimed to portray himself as a statesman respected by Israel’s most important ally and welcomed in the corridors of Washington. That task is complicated by Americans’ increasingly divided views on Israel and the war.
The appearance made Netanyahu the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of Congress four times, surpassing Winston Churchill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson gave Netanyahu a warm welcome. More than 60 Democrats and political independent Bernie Sanders boycotted Netanyahu’s speech. The most notable absence was right behind him: Harris, who serves as president of the Senate, said a long-scheduled trip kept her from attending.
The next Democrat in line, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, declined to attend, so Sen. Ben Cardin, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, served as “senator pro tempore” in place of her.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, was also a no-show for Netanyahu’s speech, citing the need to campaign.
Support for Israel has long carried political weight in U.S. politics. But Netanyahu’s visit has been somewhat overshadowed by U.S. political turmoil, including the assassination attempt against Trump and Biden’s decision not to seek another term.
Many Democrats attended the address despite their criticism of Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who in a floor speech in March called for new elections in Israel. Schumer, of New York, said then that Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region.
The United States is Israel’s most important ally, arms supplier and source of military aid. The Biden administration had said it wants to see Netanyahu focus his visit on helping it complete a deal for a cease-fire and hostage-release. Growing numbers of Israelis accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war in order to avoid a likely fall from power whenever the conflict ends.
Netanyahu’s visit came under the shadow of arrest warrants sought against him by the International Criminal Court over alleged Israel war crimes against Palestinians. The United States does not recognize the ICC.
The U.S. refusal to acknowledge the ICC is troubling. They were so quick to support it when Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin was issued a warrant. But when it comes to a raging fascist like Benjamin Netanyahu, they want to punish the ICC for doing its job to uphold law and order.
Fuck Netanyahu, fuck Israel, fuck the Republican and Democratic lawmakers participating in this barf bag of tomfoolery.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defied President Joe Biden by inviting Israel's most controversial politician to the U.S. Capitol for a Joint Session of Congress.
As he is set to appear today, the president will address the nation to talk about him dropping out of the race, Netanyahu being at the Capitol, former president Donald J. Trump going back on his word to lower the temperature, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), former president Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden reportedly was fuming at Obama and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) after there were reports they were calling for him to step aside. Other senators like Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) echoed the same concerns to step aside.
Biden fully endorsed Harris as she will now be the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Harris who usually precedes over the Joint Session of Congress will not be at the White House nor in the chamber. She will be on the campaign trail addressing issues and likely attacking Netanyahu, Trump and Vance for their neofacsist agenda.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
The U.S. should obligate the warrant but won't.
Biden continues to back Israel despite the nine months of conflict. Israel is way past trying to "rescue" hostages. The remaining are likely IDF soliders and victims of Israeli air strikes. They are likely dead.
Israel is notorious for killing their own civilians and blaming Hamas.
Netanyahu is coming to the Capitol to demand the U.S. continue its support of Israel, attack Biden for going wobbly on defense funding and encourage American engagement in the Middle East. He will bring props.
After he finishes his rant, Netanyahu will head to Mar-a-Lago to endorse Trump.
Many Democrats and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) will not attend this event.
Sean "Softball" Hannity, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Mark Levin already attacking Harris for not attending and claiming that yesterday's protest at the Capitol by Jewish Voice for Peace was an insurrection.
In August, I will start listening to the annoying agitator and do another Sean Hannity Word Vomit. Now that Biden is out the race, the annoying "Softball" Hannity will resort to the Obama like attacks.
Get ready for more Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Kamala's laughs, her teleprompter and other noise this asshole conjures up.
Trust me, Harris is gaining enthusiasm and it is scaring Trump, Black separatists and even Tulsi Gabbard.
So be ready, the word vomit is projecting on the country.
The U.S. Secret Service head steps down after pressure from Republicans and some Democrats on the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump. The former president, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and her soon to be running mate will stretch the Secret Service.
Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, faced growing calls to resign and several investigations into how a gunman was able to get so close to the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she said in an email to staff obtained by The Associated Press. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”
Cheatle’s departure was unlikely to end the scrutiny of the long-troubled agency after the failures of July 13, and it comes at a critical juncture ahead of the Democratic National Convention and a busy presidential campaign season. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have promised more investigations. An inspector general probe and an independent, bipartisan effort launched at President Joe Biden’s behest will keep the agency in the spotlight.
Cheatle’s resignation came a day after she appeared before a congressional committee and was berated for hours by both Democrats and Republicans for the security failures. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades, but she angered lawmakers by failing to answer specific questions about the investigation.
Biden said in a statement that “what happened that day can never happen again,” and he planned to appoint a new director soon, but he did not discuss a timeline.
The president and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas thanked Cheatle for her service. Mayorkas appointed Deputy Director Ronald Rowe as acting director. He has worked for the agency for 23 years.
“At this moment in time, we must remain focused,” Rowe said in a note to staff obtained by AP. “We will restore the faith and confidence of the American public and the people we are entrusted to protect.”
Details continue to emerge about signs of trouble that day and the roles of the Secret Service and local authorities. The agency routinely relies on local law enforcement to secure the perimeter of events. Former top Secret Service agents said the gunman should never have been allowed to gain access to the roof.
After Cheatle’s resignation, Trump posted on his social media network: “The Biden/Harris Administration did not properly protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for Democracy. IT WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO DO SO!”
The House Homeland Security Committee had asked Cheatle to testify Tuesday for another hearing on the assassination attempt, but lawmakers said she refused. Cheatle’s name was on a card on a table in front of an empty chair during the hearing, which began shortly before her decision to step down became public.