'Blaze News Tonight' RECAP: Elon Musk's Trump donation, Secret Service failure, and a Jan. 6 victory



In the wake of Trump’s near-assassinaton, Elon Musk has not only endorsed Donald Trump for president but has also pledged $45 million a month to a Trump-affiliated PAC, likely making him an even bigger target for the left. Corrupt Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.) has been convicted on 16 counts, leading several Democrat senators to call for his resignation, even threatening to expel him if he refuses to step down. Next, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) gives her thoughts in an exclusive interview on Trump’s decision to appoint JD Vance as his running mate, as well as Biden’s calls for unity. Next, former Navy SEAL and security expert Erik Prince joins the show to shed light on the newly surfaced Iranian assassination plot, as well as the failure of the Secret Service not only at the rally but in general. However, there is a hopeful development in one January 6 case. A federal judge ordered the release of January 6 prisoner John Strand. Blaze News investigative journalist Steve Baker calls in to discuss the ruling.

Elon Musk Goes Full MAGA with Monthly $45M Trump Super PAC Pledge | Guest: Erik Prince | 7/16/24 www.youtube.com

Elon gets super political in super PAC donation

Senior politics editor and Washington correspondent for Blaze Media Christopher Bedford joins Jill and the panel on “Blaze News Tonight” from day two of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to discuss Elon Musk’s recent political moves and Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez’s conviction.

In regard to Musk’s donation pledge, Bedford says, “My gosh, he’s brave.”

Not only did Musk pledge “$45 million a month, a staggering amount of money,” to a Trump super PAC, but he also expressed his disapproval of Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bill that permits children to transition behind their parents’ backs by vowing to “move his space company to Texas.”

Further, Democrat Senator Bob Menendez, who Bedford says is “one of the more openly corrupt senators” and “an incredibly arrogant politician,” has been convicted on “federal corruption charges.”

Even “the Democrats just want him to go away,” says Bedford.

Further, Julio Rosas, Blaze Media’s national correspondent, who is also attending the RNC convention, spoke with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) about her thoughts regarding Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance.

“It’s the direction I want the party to go in, and that’s going to be America first,” Greene said of Vance.

To Biden’s calls for “unity,” Greene was candid: “If Joe Biden and the Democrats were serious about unity, he would completely stop the weaponized Department of Justice that he has enabled, he would reel back Merrick Garland, he would drop all the charges against President Trump, [and] he would release political prisoners who are being held in prison for years now for protesting election fraud.”

Secret Service failure and Kimberly Cheatle’s refusal to step down

The Secret Service is on high alert after reports of an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump have surfaced. Former Navy SEAL and security expert Erik Prince joins the show to shed light on the threat.

“I think this is a desperate effort to deflect from a completely botched job of protecting the leading Republican candidate and front-runner for the next presidency,” Prince tells Jill, adding that he doesn’t give the threat “a whole lot of credibility.”

“We suffer from a from a whole collection of federal agencies that are bloated, obese, unaccountable, and ineffective, and we continue to steer away from a merit-based, execution-based excellent society to our detriment,” he continues, noting that had Trump been killed, “we could have literally torn the country asunder.”

When Prince points to the lack of merit in our federal agencies, he is, at least in part, referring to Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle’s DEI initiative to ensure 30% of the force is made up of women.

Even though Cheatle has technically “[taken] responsibility” for Trump’s near-assassination, she has nonetheless refused to step down from her position.

While the FBI has sworn to investigate Saturday’s unfortunate events, Jill questions the authenticity of their claims, given “the way that the federal agencies have handled Donald Trump-related issues in the past.”

Prince agrees, stating he has “zero confidence in the federal government being able to investigate itself.”

A January 6 victory

The tides have turned for one January 6 defendant, John Strand, who was ordered to be released by a federal judge this July.

Blaze News investigative journalist and fellow January 6 victim Steve Baker joins the show to explain the details of Strand’s case. Steve tells Jill and the panel that Strand is one of the more “high-profile cases” of all the January 6 defendants.

Strand attended the Capitol on January 6 because he was the friend and bodyguard of Dr. Simone Gold, who was deplatformed during the height of COVID for recommending “alternate therapies that were not part of the approved narrative from the administration.”

Dr. Gold was scheduled to speak at the Capitol that day — an event that was “legally permitted.” When the Oathkeepers and Strand escorted Dr. Gold to her speaking location, however, the chaos had already begun.

“John Strand and Simone Gold did not participate in violence; they did not participate in breaching the Capitol building whatsoever,” says Baker, “but when the doors opened, they, like so many hundreds and even thousands of others, did in fact go inside peacefully, and she actually decided to deliver her prepared remarks there in the Rotunda.”

After Dr. Gold delivered her speech, she and Strand “peacefully left.” However, both were “arrested very early on” and were “charged not only with a handful of misdemeanors,” but also with the “infamous 1512 obstruction of an official preceding felony, which carried up to 20 years potential imprisonment.”

While Gold ended up “taking a plea deal" involving “60 days in prison,” Strand decided that “he was going to be a warrior” and fight the charges. In the end, he was sentenced to “32 months in prison.”

“They committed exactly the same crimes, but because he wasted the government's time and he put them through the hassle of having to prepare for a trial … Simone got two months in prison and he got 32 months in prison,” says Baker.

However, the Supreme Court’s “overturning of 1512" led to Strand’s release.

'Blaze News Tonight' RECAP: Implications of Trump’s near-assassination, JD Vance, and eerie parallels between Trump and Roosevelt



Last weekend, President Trump came within a literal inch of death during an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The following Monday, Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed his classified documents case due to the unconstitutionality of Jack Smith's involvement. BlazeTV host of “Stu Does America” Stu Burguiere joins "Blaze News Tonight" to discuss the historic last few days for Donald Trump and what they could mean come November. Next, Blaze Media senior politics editor Christopher Bedford and Blaze Media national correspondent Julio Rosas tune in from the RNC convention in Milwaukee to discuss President Trump's VP pick — Ohio Senator JD Vance — and the anti-Trump protests raging in the streets outside the convention. Next, the panel discusses the group of attendees at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally who witnessed the shooter mount the roof and who called for help but were ignored. Former intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense and chief researcher for Glenn Beck Jason Buttrill joins to break down the failure of the Secret Service to protect former President Donald Trump from danger. Lastly, BlazeTV host of "The Glenn Beck Program" and Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck joins the show to discuss the parallels between the attempted assassination of Trump and that of President Theodore Roosevelt.

'America’s Hitler'?! Biden’s Unity Message TANKS After Trump Picks JD Vance for VP | 7/15/24www.youtube.com

Historic days for Donald Trump

At a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, former president Donald Trump was nearly assassinated when a shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire from a nearby rooftop, hitting Trump in the ear. Two days later, Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Trump’s classified documents case, ruling that special counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutionally appointed.

“This is probably one of the craziest sequences of events that I've ever seen in politics,” says BlazeTV’s Stu Burguiere.

“To just have a bullet go through your ear, you're an inch away from dying, to have the presence of mind to stand up there and raise your fist and show America that … not only did this not hurt you, but we're going to keep going is one of the most incredible moments — the most bada** moment — I've ever seen,” he tells Jill.

According to Stu, Trump’s bold display of courage will likely result in “a bump” for him, meaning that people who have never considered voting for him before may find themselves “crossing that line for the first time because there is something really, truly American” about “the way [Trump] reacted.”

Further, Stu suspects the mainstream media will soften toward Trump for a while and conveniently “forget about all the rhetoric” it’s been spreading about his similarity to Hitler.

“You call somebody Hitler over and over and over again, it's going to create an impression among some unstable people that the correct, moral thing to do is to take him out,” says Stu, suggesting that the media’s rhetoric is at least partially to blame for Trump’s almost-assassination.

Republicans unite at Milwaukee RNC Convention, anti-Trump protests rage on

According to Blaze Media senior politics editor Christopher Bedford, currently attending the RNC convention in Milwaukee, the events that occurred over the weekend seem to be unifying the right.

“The Republicans were already set to walk into this week more unified than the Democratic Party by an absolute long shot, but the historic deadly attack and the attempted assassination that we watched on television on Saturday has even heightened that,” says Bedford, adding that the spectrum of Republicans coming together ranges from warmongering Nikki Haley to 50 Cent.

As for Trump’s VP pick — Ohio Senator JD Vance — Bedford alleges that the majority of convention attendees seem “thrilled with this decision,” but there are certain individuals, “some of the old Tea Party conservatives,” for example, who are not so thrilled.

“What choosing Vance says — a young senator, 39 [years old], in his first term, a rising star, telegenic, intelligent — is it allows the MAGA movement to know that there's some kind of future, a potential successor, after Trump's second term in office if he wins,” Bedford explains.

For all the unity among Republicans, however, there seems to be equal solidarity among Trump-haters. Footage shows mass anti-Trump protests in the streets of Milwaukee, where Trump-Hitler rhetoric has not waned at all.

Blaze Media national correspondent Julio Rosas tells Jill that in the press conference that followed the march on the RNC, protest leaders were “denouncing Trump,” likely realizing that his “popularity [is] rising in the aftermath” of the assassination attempt.

“One of the speakers did say that, generally speaking, she was against any assassination attempt on any politician, but then she caveated that by saying it's undeniable that Trump's rhetoric, policies, and actions has led to the legitimization of political violence by white nationalists,” Rosas reports.

Secret Service failure?

Police forces and Secret Service at the rally where President Trump was shot have come under intense scrutiny after a group of bystanders witnessed the armed shooter mount the roof but were ignored when they reported the threat.

Jill plays the footage of one witness recounting to the BBC’s Gary O'Donoghue that he “[pointed] at the guy crawling up the roof” to police and Secret Service and even told police that “there's guy on the roof with a rifle,” but nothing was done until after Crooks had already started firing.

He also asked: “Why is there not Secret Service on all of these roofs?”

Former intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense and chief researcher for Glenn Beck Jason Buttrill calls the situation “ridiculous” and “chaotic.”

Jason, who’s “worked alongside Secret Service,” says that he “cannot fathom how this happened,” as Secret Service — especially when the protective operation involves a president — will “show up weeks in advance” to conduct a “site survey” for the purpose of developing a “multi-tiered security plan.”

Part of that security plan involves setting up “firing positions” that fall “outside the perimeter,” completely debunking the narrative of the Secret Service director who claimed that “they’re not responsible outside that perimeter.”

All considered, it seems highly unlikely that the roof from which the shooter fired was not considered a high-risk area by the Secret Service prior to the rally.

Parallels between Teddy Roosevelt & Donald Trump’s almost-assassinations

Glenn Beck, a lover of history, couldn’t help but notice several parallels between Donald Trump’s near-death experience and that of Teddy Roosevelt in 1912.

When Roosevelt was shot, the bullet “didn't go into his lungs” but rather “lodged between two ribs because the speech and his glasses,” which he’d put into his front coat pocket, “caught that bullet,” says Glenn, adding that Roosevelt “went on to give the speech” despite his wound.

“The way Donald Trump handled the assassination attempt is almost identical to what Teddy Roosevelt did,” he tells Jill. “When Donald Trump got up and he said, ‘Wait, wait, wait,’ and then he looked at the crowd and held his fist up and he said ‘fight.’ I ... immediately thought of Theodore Roosevelt.”

Jill agrees, adding that Trump “never backs away from a fight,” which is also “what Teddy Roosevelt is known for.”

As for Trump’s decision to select JD Vance as his running mate, Glenn says, “I think it was a really good move.”

Vance, according to Glenn, has the potential to carry on Trump’s legacy and counteract the left’s narrative that Trump will refuse to leave office.

“You could interpret this as … Donald Trump saying, ‘I know I'm only going to be there four years,”’ says Glenn, meaning that Vance, if he runs for president in 2028, could actually accomplish much of what Trump set out to do — things that Trump knows are impossible to achieve in one term.

'Blaze News Tonight' RECAP: Project 2025, the SAVE Act, and Inflation



The left is panicking over Project 2025, villainizing it as far-right extremism, but what's really in the document? Heritage Foundation president and co-author of the initiative Kevin Roberts joins the show to answer questions and debunk lies regarding Project 2025. Next, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) explains the SAVE Act — a bill that would bar non-citizens from voting in the 2024 election. Democrats have largely voted against it; Biden has even vowed to veto it, and yet, 81% of the American people agree that only American citizens should have the right to vote in U.S. elections. What the people want is crystal clear, but how likely is the SAVE Act to pass prior to November? Finally, Carol Roth joins the program to tell us the truth about inflation, including what the recent one-tenth drop means for the average American.

Project 2025: Heritage President DEBUNKS Lies | Guests: Kevin Roberts & Sen. Mike Lee | 7/11/24www.youtube.com

Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts on Project 2025

Democrats are in an uproar over Project 2025, calling the initiative far-right extremism and attempting to attach the document to Donald Trump, who has denied any affiliation. Headed by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 is a detailed plan of policy proposals for the next conservative administration. What's in the document, though? Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation president and co-author of Project 2025, joins the show to "separate fact from fiction."

The list of lies liberals are spreading about Project 2025 grows longer by the day, but "the one thing they get right," Roberts says, "is that we call for the utter elimination of the U.S. Department of Education."

As for the people "doxxing" and "threatening" those behind Project 2025, Roberts promises unapologetic prosecution.

"We are going to prosecute you, and we're going to do that using every ounce of the law. It's going to be peaceful; it's going to be lawful, but you have picked the wrong fight," he says.

Sen. Mike Lee on the SAVE Act

Among the many fears Americans harbor regarding Biden's open border policies that have ushered in millions and millions of illegal immigrants is the concern that non-citizens will be given voting rights prior to the 2024 election, potentially changing the outcome. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), however, alongside Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and House Speaker Mike Johnson, have proposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act that aims to ensure only American citizens can vote in the 2024 election. Unsurprisingly, most Democrats have voted against it. Biden has also mentioned vetoing the bill.

Sen. Mike Lee, who joins the show, explains that liberal opposition to the bill is rooted in Democrats' desire to "rely on non-citizens" to impact "a federal election" — something he calls "terrifying."

While Lee admits that they face "some heavy obstacles to passing [the SAVE Act]," he knows that should the bill be voted down, the decision "is going to come at a price," granted "81% of American voters agreed that only citizens — only American citizens — should vote in federal elections," which is "a huge bipartisan supermajority."

Sen. Lee also broke down his op-ed on Blaze News, which discusses the legal lawfare the left has used to take down Trump. "[Democrats] are the rule of law," he says, adding that "Democrats love throwing around ... the term 'our democracy,' and yet, when they use the term democracy, they're more often than not talking about something that is the exact opposite of democracy."

As for President Biden's cognitive decline, Lee says his Democratic colleagues "are referring behind closed doors to this situation ... as the 'Weekend at Bernie's' chat."

"I think they've finally started to accept the fact that they've pushed it so far they can't take it any farther."

Carol Roth on inflation

Blaze News contributor and author of "You Will Own Nothing" Carol Roth joins the show to tell us the truth about inflation, one of the biggest — if not the biggest — complaint of American citizens.

"The top issue on Americans’ minds as they head to the polls is the economy," Roth wrote in her recent article "The GOP needs to stay focused on inflation, not cognition."

Roth, who agrees that Biden's mental acuity is a problem, argues that his administration's destructive policies — including the ones driving inflation through the roof — are the far more pressing issue.

"We're missing the opportunity when we're talking about his cognitive decline to talk about the fact that whether it's Biden or someone they put in his place ... these are the broader policies of not just this man but of the Democrats and that if we want to save our country, we need to be making a change in holding those people accountable, and that goes farther than just Joe Biden," she says.

As for inflation, which as of yesterday was down "one-tenth of 1%," Roth says she isn't hopeful it will make a real difference for the average American.

"A quarter of a percentage point, which is probably what is on the table today for September (if that even happens) isn't going to change things meaningfully," she says, adding that she thinks "we need to see something like a 1% cut ... then maybe Americans start to feel a little bit of relief in terms of anything that is tied to an interest rate."

"The most meaningful thing it will mean is that the $35 trillion in debt we have — that big portion of it that needs to be refinanced plus the almost $2 trillion deficits that we're running that need to be financed — they will be able to be financed hopefully at lower interest rates, which will overtime, theoretically, bring down the deficits and hopefully have a positive impact on inflation ... that's the best we can hope for."

For more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, tune in to 'Blaze News Tonight' daily on BlazeTV.

'No one is above the law': The two framings of Hunter Biden's criminal case — and the prosecution's secret weapon



Judging from the opening statements in Hunter Biden's federal gun case, it appears as though Ashley Biden's troubling diary may no longer be the heaviest piece of familial baggage President Joe Biden has to lug into the November election.

The Democratic president and gun control advocate's son faces three counts related to his alleged unlawful possession of a handgun: lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on a federal firearms application, and possession of an illegally obtained gun.

If convicted of all three counts, Biden could land up to 25 years in prison as well as fines up to $750,000. It will also amount to a black eye for the White House, which has made significant hay out in recent days of former President Donald Trump's conviction.

Prior to hearing opening statements from prosecutors and the defense, Trump-appointed Judge Maryellen Noreika of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware expressed a willingness to permit the jury — comprising four black men, three black women, two white men, and three white women — to see images of the president's son in states of undress with illicit drug paraphernalia, reported the New York Times.

After it became clear that damning images from the laptop long discounted by the liberal media and intelligence community would come to haunt the Biden family once again, and latecomers were seated, prosecutors and the defense delivered their opening statements to a packed courtroom.

Once the two framings were established, the prosecution introduced a disembodied witness whose authoritative insights into Hunter Biden's bad choices and debauched lifestyle served to greatly undermine his defense.

The prosecution's framing

Prosecutor Derek Hines, a senior assistant special counsel, co-opted a statement recycled by Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland and other Democrats when speaking about former President Donald Trump's cases. Hines said that even in this case, "Nobody is above the law. It doesn't matter who you are, or what your name is."

'Nobody is allowed to lie, not even Hunter Biden.'

While Hunter Biden dodged the legal consequences everyday Americans alternatively face over their use of illicit substances, Hines made clear he shouldn't be able to skate for lying on a federal gun application.

"Nobody is allowed to lie, not even Hunter Biden," said Hines.

The prosecutor made clear to jurors, some of whom self-identified during jury selection as having addicts in their respective personal orbits, that the president's son was not in court simply because he was a junkie.

"Addiction may not be a choice, but lying and buying a gun is a choice," said Hines.

NBC News noted the extent to which Hines' emphasized this theme.

Hunter Biden "chose to illegally own a firearm" and "chose to lie," said the prosecutor. Hines later added that Hunter Biden also did not throw away the gun by choice. Rather, it was taken from him by a former lover, his brother's widow Hallie Biden, who ditched it in a trash can outside of a supermarket.

Hines provided the jury and the country with a preview of what to expect.

Gordon Cleveland, the man who sold Biden a gun at Starquest Shooters, is expected to testify about Biden's deception. Hallie Biden, granted an immunity agreement, "will testify about her own crack use" and potentially her disposal of Hunter Biden's gun. Zoe Kestan, one of Biden's sexual partners also granted immunity, will detail her observations on Biden's nonstop crack use.

The jury will also hear from Biden's ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle; FBI agent Erika Jensen; Delaware State Police Corp. Joshua Marley; Delaware State Police Lt. Millard Greer; forensic chemist Dr. Jason Brewer; and potentially a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent.

Extra to these witnesses, the prosecution will likely introduce textual communications and drug residue to prove Hunter Biden lied, reported the Times.

The defense's framing

Biden's defense attorney Abbe Lowell downplayed the severity of Biden's alleged crime; displaced blame, throwing Buhle and Cleveland under the bus; suggested Biden's drug use was not consistent, at least not enough to infer his use at the time of the gun's purchase; and intimated that Biden's drug-addled intentions at the time of purchase are unknowable.

"Hunter bought a small handgun," said Lowell. "It was never loaded."

Lowell stressed that Biden never used the Colt Cobra .38 Special revolver.

Lowell indicated that it is incumbent upon prosecutors to demonstrate that Biden "knowingly violated the law." To do so, Lowell suggested they will have to show that the president's son entered the gun store with the intention to purchase a weapon while also recognizing himself as an addict. While the prosecution has a witness who will attest to seeing Hunter Biden smoke crack every 15-20 minutes and stop only when it came to sleep, Lowell suggested that intent will be impossible to prove.

NBC News indicated that the defense may also attempt to defuse some of the prosecution's arguments about Hunter Biden's drug use and boozing around the time of the gun purchase by suggesting he routinely deceived Hallie Biden.

Finally, Lowell indicated that the defense will attempt to shift blame onto the gun seller, Cleveland, insinuating that he skirted protocol to make the sale.

First up to bat

After a brief recess punctuated by a hysterical outburst by Biden's current wife, Melissa Cohen-Biden — who called a former Trump White House aide a "Nazi piece of s***" — the trial resumed, and Erika Jensen took the stand.

Prosecutors played clips of Hunter Biden reading his memoir, "Beautiful Things," wherein he admitted to crack cocaine addiction for a four-year period leading up to a 2019 trip to California.

Hunter Biden bought the gun in October 2018. The defense has suggested that contrary to Biden's autobiographical account of the four-year crack binge, he didn't know he was an addict when entering the gun store.

In one of the passages heard by the court, Hunter Biden mentions his "superpower": locating crack wherever he goes.

Jensen, an FBI agent of nearly 20 years who was assigned to Hunter Biden's case last year, authenticated ATM receipts, providing some additional context for Hunter Biden's possibly incriminating literary admissions, reported CNN.

Prior to the court breaking for lunch, Hunter Biden did much of the leg work for the prosecution by way of his audio recording, which played to a captive audience, including first lady Jill Biden and Cohen-Biden.

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'There’s somebody at our back door with a gun': Scary home video shows camouflaged intruder seemingly forgot to load his gun

'There’s somebody at our back door with a gun': Scary home video shows camouflaged intruder seemingly forgot to load his gun



A camouflaged man seemingly fired an unloaded gun at a North Carolina couple while intruding on their back porch, surveillance video showed.

A McDowell County couple shared surveillance footage with local news outlets and authorities after a man identified as Tyler Messer stood on their back porch wielding a rifle.

Aiming down the sights, Messer looked back and forth at the couple who was in their house at the time.

"As I’m folding one towel, I have my phone lying in front of me and I see an alert that there’s some motion on the back," Preston McHone told WLOS. "So, I just turn around and yell, ‘Billy, there’s somebody at our back door with a gun,’" he added.

It was about 11 p.m. when Messer, still on the porch, pulled the action on his rifle. Audio of the gun failing to fire any projectiles can be heard on video, indicating that it was likely an empty chamber. However, it is still unclear and has been described as a misfire by local news outlets.

After the alleged misfire, Messer took a moment to inspect his rifle before fleeing from the property.

It also remained unclear whether or not the intent of the suspect was to kill the home owners at all, as law enforcement notes have described Messer as "mentally ill."

"Defendant is mentally ill. Defendant stated to family that he was going to rid the world of sin," the notes from the McDowell County Magistrate Bail Explanation Form read.

"As he pulls the trigger, he turns and, in that short turn, he’s realizing it didn’t go off because he’s supposed to, at that point, have shot [my partner] and would be turning towards me," McHone continued. "He didn't follow through because he missed one step, and that was loading his weapon."

The couple reportedly hid inside their home for several minutes until police arrived. They would soon learn that it wasn't the first time Messer had been to their home. Messer had reportedly visited their house three times within the past year, allegedly looking for his father.

The couple did not know who the man's father is.

The McDowell County Sheriff's Office reported that the suspect was charged with assault by pointing a gun, first-degree trespassing, and stalking. The charges came with a set bail of $200,000.

Two days later, 29-year-old Messer had his charges upgraded to include attempted murder.

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Biden DOJ Taps Group Funded By Deep-Pocketed Left-Wing Orgs To Guide Gun Violence Reduction Efforts

Left-of-center racial justice activism is present in the DOJ's roadmap

CBS reporter corners KJP with perfect questions on Hunter's plea deal that expose Biden's hypocrisy on guns



CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang highlighted on Wednesday President Joe Biden's apparent hypocrisy on gun laws.

At the White House press briefing, Jiang noted that "Biden has spent most of his political career working on gun laws, on gun reform." As an advocate of more gun laws, then, Jiang asked whether Biden believes that "someone who is charged with possessing a firearm illegally should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law?"

Jiang did not cite Hunter Biden specifically, but she invoked the felony crime the first son admitted to. Hunter, of course, was offered pretrial diversion for that crime, not criminal prosecution.

Jean-Pierre, however, was not interested in touching the question with a 1,000-foot pole.

"I think I know where this question is going, and I’m just going to continue to say: As it relates to the case that we’re seeing in Delaware, I’m just going to not speak to that," she responded. "It is an independent matter. This is up for the Department of Justice."

07/26/23: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre www.youtube.com

But Jiang refused to accept "no" as an answer.

"[Biden] talks often about the need to get illegal firearms off of our streets. So when someone possesses one illegally, what does the president believe should happen to them?" she followed up.

The press secretary responded that Biden "has been very clear" and reiterated her previous answer, saying nothing more.

It's true, then, that Jean-Pierre, by her own admission, could see where Jiang was steering her question. Biden claims to want stricter gun laws to prevent individuals from possessing firearms who he thinks should not have them. Yet he is silent when his own son illegally possesses a firearm.

To Jiang's point, the Justice Department typically prosecutes those who illegally possess firearms to the fullest extent of the law. Earlier this year, in fact, the agency boasted about prosecuting individuals accused of committing the same crime that Hunter did, which normally carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

It's unusual, on the other hand, for prosecutors to hand out diversion for such charges, especially because the DOJ's own guidelines on diversion prohibit diversion for certain firearm-related offenses.

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Video: Las Vegas homeowner narrowly escapes death when suspect's firearm jams during attempted robbery



A Las Vegas homeowner narrowly escaped with his life after an attempted murder suspect tried to shoot him in what police are calling a botched robbery.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is requesting help to identify a black male suspect who was recorded on a home security camera pulling a gun on a homeowner and demanding property from the man on Sunday.

Police said that on the afternoon of July 24, the victim was returning home and parked his vehicle in his garage when he was approached by the unidentified suspect, who was armed.

The armed suspect attempted to rob the man, who fled. As the victim ran away, the suspect pursued him and attempted to shoot the man, but the weapon jammed. The suspect then ran to a nearby parked vehicle and fled the scene, police said.

The police department released video of the incident that was taken by a Ring security camera that appears to belong to one of the victim's neighbors.

\u201cVideo: https://t.co/c5r98mzX13\nPress release: https://t.co/lsyTv4SE4Y\u201d
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) 1658784630

In the video, two men are seen running across a street. The first is an unarmed white male wearing a pink shirt and white pants. An armed black man wearing a white T-shirt, dark pants, and white athletic shoes pursues him.

The suspect is shown attempting to fire his weapon at the victim multiple times, but the victim is able to run away unharmed. The suspect then flees after his weapon appears to jam.

Video captured from another security camera appears to show the suspect fleeing in a black sedan with tinted windows, police said.

Residents of the neighborhood where the crime took place were reportedly "shocked" by the incident, according to KVVU-TV.

Local news reporter Joe Vigil spoke to the 80-year-old victim, who said that the gun wielded by the suspect belonged to him. It is unclear how the suspect obtained the victim's firearm.

"Anyone who recognizes this suspect or has any information about this incident is urged to contact LVMPD Summerlin Area Command Investigations at 702-828-9455," police said.

Police encouraged anyone who may wish to provide an anonymous tip to contact Crime Stoppers by telephone at 702-385-5555 or online at crimestoppersofnv.com.

Active shooting situation at 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois leaves at least 5 dead, 16 injured



A mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois on Monday has left at least five people dead and 16 more injured, officials said.

Police are urging the public to stay away from the downtown area of the suburb, which sits north of Chicago, as they conduct a manhunt for the shooter.

The shooting happened a little after 10 a.m. local time, WMAQ-TV reports. The Lake County Sheriff's office and other law enforcement departments are assisting Highland Park Police with the shooting response.

"STAY OUT OF THE AREA — allow law-enforcement and first responders to do their work," the sheriff's office tweeted.

\u201cWe are assisting Highland Park Police with a shooting in the area of the Independence Day parade route. STAY OUT OF THE AREA - allow law-enforcement and first responders to do their work.\u201d
— Lake County Sheriff (@Lake County Sheriff) 1656950756

Illinois State Police said the shooting situation is "active."

"The Illinois State Police is currently assisting Highland Park PD with an active shoot situation that occurred at the Highland Park Parade," the state police said.

\u201cThe Illinois State Police is currently assisting Highland Park PD with an active shoot situation that occurred at the Highland Park Parade.\n\nThe public is advised to avoid the area of Central Ave and 2nd St. in Highland Park.\u201d
— IllinoisStatePolice (@IllinoisStatePolice) 1656951808

"Highland Park Police are responding to an active shooter incident that occurred in downtown Highland Park during the 4th of July parade," the city of Highland Park said in a statement. "This is an active incident. All individuals are advised to shelter in place. Law enforcement agencies are searching for the suspect; evidence of a firearm has been recovered. Numerous law enforcement officers are responding and have secured a perimeter around downtown Highland Park. 16 people have been transferred to the hospital; 5 individuals are confirmed deceased."

Witnesses told local news station WMAQ that parade spectators thought the sound of gunfire was part of the parade at first.

"You heard like a 'pop, pop, pop,' and I think everybody kinda thought maybe it was a display on one of the floats, and then it just opened up," witness Larry Bloom said.

"I was screaming and people were screaming," he said. "They were panicking and they were just scattering and I, you know, we didn't know. You know, it was right on top of us."

The rest of the Fourth of July festivities in Highland Park have been canceled as police continue the search for the shooter, the city of Highland Park said.

The neighboring city of Evanston has also canceled their holiday celebrations.

"Due to a tragic mass shooting that took place earlier this morning in Highland Park, the City of Evanston will be canceling this year’s 4th of July Parade and celebrations effective immediately," city officials said.

The mass shooting follows a violent holiday weekend in Chicago. At least 54 people had been shot, seven fatally, as of Monday morning.