‘Consider the pain’: Children of slain Dem call on Trump to take down ‘false’ video
The children of a slain Democratic lawmaker called out President Donald Trump on Sunday after he shared a "false" video on Truth Social that they claim "twisted" the vote of their late mother.
On Sunday, Trump posted a video on Truth Social that claimed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had former state lawmaker Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and their dog assassinated because she voted to take away health care for illegal immigrants. Hortman was gunned down at home over the summer by Vance Boelter, a Republican voter who impersonated law enforcement to gain access to the Hortmans' home, according to the Department of Justice.
Colin and Sophie Hortman, the late lawmaker's son and daughter, called on Trump to remove the video from social media and apologize to the family.
"I am asking President Trump to remove the video that he shared and apologize to me and my family for posting this misinformation and for using my mother's own words to dishonor her legacy," Colin Hortman said in a statement.
"The video the president shared is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents ... I ask President Trump to please consider the pain and sadness we have faced, and to honor the spirit of the holidays we have just spent without our parents by taking down the post on Truth Social," Sohpie Hortman added.
‘He knows’: Psychologist reveals why Trump lashes out at reports about his health
A prominent psychologist revealed on Sunday some of the reasons why President Donald Trump rages at reports of his failing physical and mental health.
Trump has recently lashed out at The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for reporting on his health. After The Journal published its report, Trump posted on Truth Social that he "aced" multiple cognitive exams. He has also called the NYT the "enemy of the people" and called for the outlet to be investigated for reporting on his health.
Dr. John Gartner, a psychologist and former professor, discussed why Trump has such extreme reactions to these reports on a new episode of "The Daily Beast Podcast."
"No story enrages Donald Trump more than the stories about his physical and cognitive health," Gartner said. "And there's a reason for that. One, he knows that he's covering something up, but two, as a malignant narcissist, the one thing you need to project is strength. It's okay to be hated and feared, but you have to appear strong. And so this is really it."
"Donald Trump's Achilles heel is his brain and now, I guess, a whole bunch of other organs," he continued. "His ankles, his heart, his his hands. His psychomotor performance is getting worse."
Gartner noted Trump's difficulty using the right side of his body, like when he was unable to perform a coinflip during the Army and Navy game, and his struggle saluting with his right hand. Gartner has also noted the right side of Trump's face drooping when he's fallen asleep, a sign that he may have recently had a stroke.
"He knows it's showing his Achilles heel and yet he can't stop the behavior because it's involuntary," Gartner said.
‘Go home’: DHS official urges Venezuelans in US to self-deport following Maduro’s arrest
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said on Sunday that Venezuelans living in the U.S. with temporary protected status should self-deport following the capture of the country's dictator.
On Saturday morning, the Trump administration sent military forces to Venezuela to detain dictator Nicolás Maduro. Maduro and his wife were then swiftly brought to the U.S., where they will stand trial for narco-terrorism and gun charges. Some legal experts have said the move exceeded Trump's authority as president, and calls for the president to be impeached began to grow following the move.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, offered a different take during an appearance on Fox News's "The Big Weekend Show" on Sunday. She said Maduro's arrest gives Venezuelans living in the U.S. protected status a reason to "go home."
"I think the great news for people from Venezuela who are here on temporary protected status is that they can now go home with hope for their country that they love," McLaughlin said.
The Trump administration has sought to end temporary protected status for multiple ethnicities during his second administration. However, courts have mostly blocked the administration from ending the status. Most recently, a judge in San Francisco ruled that the administration's efforts to end TPS for people from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua were illegal.
McLaughlin claimed there has been a "loss of integrity" in the program.
New DOJ order ‘forever bars’ US from tax claims against Trump family
The Department of Justice has issued an order permanently barring the United States from pursuing any tax claims or other legal actions against President Donald Trump, his family, his trusts, and his companies, according to a Justice Department document signed Tuesday by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The order, issued in connection with the settlement of Trump v. Internal Revenue Service, stated, "The United States RELEASES, WAIVES, ACQUITS, and FOREVER DISCHARGES" the plaintiffs and is "FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims, counterclaims, causes of action, appeals, or requests for any relief" against Trump or related parties.
The settlement agreement had already created what the DOJ calls Trump's "Anti-Weaponization Fund," a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded pot to compensate people who claim they were politically targeted by previous administrations.
The barred claims include anything that "have been or could have been asserted" against the plaintiffs arising from three categories: matters raised or that could have been raised in the case or pending agency claims; "Lawfare and/or Weaponization"; or "any matters currently pending or that could be pending (including tax returns filed before the Effective Date) before Defendants or other agencies or departments."
The order was first flagged by CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane.
During testimony on Tuesday, Blanche defended the $1.776 billion fund and was accused of still acting as Trump's personal attorney.
MeidasTouch wrote in reaction, "Trump's personal attorney is at it again."
