Raw Story

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) is still upset after he was allegedly shoved in the halls of the Capitol building by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

In an interview with CNN's Manu Raju, Burchett recounted the incident, which was first reported by NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales, in which McCarthy walked by him and allegedly gave him a sharp elbow.

Burchett then denounced the former speaker in more personal terms.

"As I have stated many times, he is a bully with $17 million and a security detail," he said. "He is the type of guy that, when you are a kid, he would throw the rock over the fence and run home to hide behind his mama's skirt. He hit from behind, and that kind of stuff. That is not the way we handle things in East Tennessee."

McCarthy has denied elbowing Burchett, who was one of eight Republican lawmakers to vote to oust him as speaker earlier this year.

However, Burchett told Raju that he is not buying McCarthy's denial for a minute.

"Of course, as he always does, he just denies it or blames somebody else or something," said Burchett, who claimed that he was still feeling some pain in his kidneys thanks to his encounter with McCarthy.

Watch the video below or at this link.

GOP lawmaker rails at 'bully' Kevin McCarthy over alleged shoving incident www.youtube.com

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) reportedly stepped in to stop a "literal brawl" during a Senate hearing Tuesday.

At a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee meeting, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) read a tweet from Teamster Sean O'Brien. The social media post suggested O'Brien was ready to fight the senator.

"Sir, this is a time, this is a place," Mullin said. "If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here."

"Perfect," O'Brien replied.

"You want to do it now?" Mullin challenged.

"I'd love to do it right now," O'Brien insisted.

"Well, stand your butt up then," the senator said.

"You stand your butt up," O'Brien shot back.

ALSO READ: Republican congressman gets jacked by thief

At that point, Mullin stood up and prepared to fight O'Brien before Sanders spoke up.

"Oh, hold it," Sanders remarked. "Is that your solution? No, no, sit down. Sit down. You're a United States Senator. Act like it."

Bloomberg's Ian Kullgren described the incident as a near "literal brawl."

"This is the most insane thing I have ever seen on Capitol Hill," he wrote on X.

Watch the video below or at this link.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) left the presidential race on Sunday night, reported MSNBC, citing a Fox report.

"One thing I would recommend to every American if you ever want to love your country more, run for president," Scott told Trey Gowdy. "Traveling this country and meeting people [was] one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life. I love America more today than I did on May 22. When I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign. I think the voters were the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear. They are telling me not now. I don't think they're saying no, but I do think they're saying not now. So, I'm going to respect the voters, and I'm going to hold on and work really hard and look forward to the other opportunities."

Scott had a rough moment at the GOP debate this week, only being noticed for the fact that he brought his girlfriend out for the public to see.

According to strategists on MSNBC, Scott wasn't likely to break through, particularly when it comes to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's surge in the polls.

Former Vice President Mike Pence dropped out early last week, but his polls were so weak that it didn't add to anyone other campaigns.

Former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) called it a South Carolina play, and explained that donors he shored up from the state may have been unwilling to help continue to help his campaign.

Scott went on to tell reporters he wasn't ready to indicate who would get his support.

See a report from MSNBC on the matter in the video below or at the link here.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

As former President Donald Trump took the witness stand on Monday to testify in his civil fraud trial, CNN anchor Kate Bolduan was shocked at how apparently incoherent his testimony was.

In particular, at one moment, Trump seemed to suggest his properties were both valued too high and too low.

"His take on his — his description of his involvement in these financial statements, and it seems somewhat from the quotes coming out like a word salad on the stand," said Bolduan. "And some of them ... I thought that the apartment was high, and we changed it, and earlier, he said that he thought that the values were off on the financial statements at times both high and low, and ultimately Mar-a-Lago was underestimated as we heard him say outside of the court, and then he said, 40 Wall Street was very underestimated for tremendous value."

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?

"And the attorney, and one of the state, Kevin Wallis, one of the attorneys seemed visibly surprised when he said both high and low, and pausing to review a transcript before asking Trump to elaborate."

New York Attorney General Letitia James is alleging Trump and his two adult sons systematically lied about the value of their assets to get more favorable loan deals, and is seeking $250 million in fines and the dissolution of the Trump Organization companies.

Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled on the merits in summary judgment, making the trial primarily about the scope of damages

Watch the video below or at the link here.

Kate Bolduan stunned by Trump's "word salad" youtu.be

Former President Donald Trump will struggle to retain his composure as he testifies at his civil fraud trial in New York — in large part because his entire public image as a successful businessman hangs in the balance of this case, argued CNN legal analyst Paula Reid on Monday morning.

Reid offered her analysis as Trump entered the building and the trial proceedings began — and as Judge Arthur Engoron swiftly ordered Trump's attorneys to control his commentary.

"He has started answering questions and facing questions from the state's attorney at this point," said anchor John Berman, turning to Reid. "What are you hearing from inside of the courtroom?"

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?

"Well, he has been asked a couple of the preliminary questions, what was his role in a certain year, and I mean, the stuff that you would ask any witness before beginning testimony, and we expect that most of the questions today will focus on the valuation of the property, and properties like 40 Wall Street, his Doral golf club, and also Mar-a-Lago, and that's one that is really sensitive for him," said Reid.

"We have heard him talk about this as he is entering the courtroom, and the judge has found that the value around that property is $18 million and something that Trump and the lawyers have taken issue with," Reid continued. "And the challenge for Trump while he is under questioning for prosecutor is to be composed and stick to the script that the lawyers have guided him through for the preparation, which is to emphasize that there are disclaimers in all of the valuation, and also to emphasize the valuing properties is an art and not a science."

That being said, Reid continued, "This case gets to something very close to his heart, which is his identity as a business tycoon, and we know that he has pretty thin skin, and so this is a test for him if he can remain composed. We know he can do this, because he has taken the witness stand many, many years before long before he was a candidate for White House, and right now while he is on the witness stand, the political and legal interests diverge, and we will see if he can keep the answers concise, honest and hopefully along the lines that the lawyers have prepared him to say."

Watch the video below or at this link.

Paula Reid says Trump's very "identity" is being challenged www.youtube.com

Michael Cohen said he barely recognized Donald Trump when he saw him in court during his New York fraud trial.

The former president's longtime attorney testified against him two weeks ago in the $250 million fraud lawsuit filed by state attorney general Letitia James, and Cohen told Salon columnist Brian Karem that Trump seemed to be a shell of himself.

"He didn't look good at all," Cohen said. "In fact, he looked beaten up and weathered. He looked really disheveled and really just different. He looked like somebody had just sucked the life out of him."

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?

"Rest assured, this New York case is really affecting him, specifically because it's about his money," Cohen added. "His money is his id, his ego, his superego, all combined into one narcissistic sociopath who for the last, what, 70-plus years — let's just say his whole life has been predicated on his wealth and his standing. What this attorney general case threatens to do is to basically expose the emperor without his clothes and, according to Stormy Daniels, that's not a pretty picture."

Judge Arthur Engoron has already found Trump liable for fraud, and the trial will determine what penalties he will pay – and Cohen predicted those would be ruinous.

"How much money is the state going to fine him as a direct result of the actions that he took with those statements of financial condition?" Cohen said. "We know that it is a baseline. The bottom number is $250 million. Mind you, that doesn't even begin to touch the additional disgorgement that they're going to be looking for, nor does it take into consideration the fines and the penalties associated with this type of a case. So, I suspect it's going to be substantially more than the $250 million. In fact, I've been so bold as to make a prediction that it'll be between $600 and $700 million."

"Mind you, he does not have that in equity," he added. "So when these assets get sold — remember, he is low-basis in most if not all of these assets — take the tax implications and then subtract from that the outstanding mortgages that may exist. Technically, there's nothing left."