Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on December 21, 2020 by Sundance

There has been considerable debate and discussion about the next steps for President Trump in contesting the election outcome.  According to media reporting on the discussions it appears the White House is listening to several opinions including a group containing Sidney Powell (outside campaign) and a group led by Rudy Giuliani (inside campaign).

Despite the common objective amid the two groups, there have been some stories written by media intended to diminish and/or marginalize the ongoing effort.  In this interview with Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s campaign lawyer outlines the formal approach underway by the inside campaign team. [The audio/visual isn’t great but it works]

In addition to the information provided by Giuliani, there are three distinct data-points that could align in favor of supporting President Trump’s ongoing effort:

1.  Acceptance by the Supreme Court of the request by the Trump campaign to hear arguments against the Pennsylvania election outcome.
2.  A pending DNI report by John Ratcliffe outlining foreign influence in the election.
3.  The outcome of the Georgia run-off election on January 5th.

If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the campaign case; and if the DNI report can show foreign interference connection to the election; and if the Georgia run-off holds momentum toward the GOP; then it is more likely a Senator will object on January 6th to the certification of the electors and request a roll-call vote in the House and Senate.

These three positive outcomes would align with congressional meetings reported today within the White House.

Everything above tracks with the known direction of the preferred “inside group”, and their advice toward President Trump.

However, the independent “outside group” containing: Attorney Sidney Powell, Attorney Lin Wood, Lt. General Michael Flynn, and now former CEO Patrick Byrne, appear to be advising for a more forceful approach with use of the 2018 executive order safeguarding against foreign interference in the election.

The narrative engineering media have accused the outside group of attempting to stimulate interest in use of the U.S. military via the Insurrection Act.

(Politico) […] But that hasn’t stopped the act from becoming a buzzword and cure-all for prominent MAGA figures like Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, two prominent pro-Trump attorneys leading efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and even one North Carolina state lawmaker. Others like Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser who was recently pardoned for lying to the FBI, have made adjacent calls for Trump to impose martial law.

The ideas have circulated in pro-Trump outlets and were being discussed over the weekend among the thousands of MAGA protesters who descended on state capitols and the Supreme Court to falsely claim Trump had won the election. (more)

In essence the DC media is attempting to isolate, ridicule and marginalize the entire effort of both groups by weaponizing a dictator Trump narrative open to use of the military via the Insurrection Act or Martial Law.

Into this fray any meeting with President Trump by the outside group is being weaponized by anti-Trump media.   President Trump was pushing back against this narrative effort by media over the weekend:

It is important to remember the White House counsel would be providing legal advice from the position of “The Office of the Presidency.”  The White House counsel’s job is to uphold the concentric circles of legal protection that surround President Trump or any U.S. President.  There are some topics of conversation that White House counsel would not allow to take place inside the oval office.

The distinction between White House counsel (Pat Cipollone) and Trump Campaign counsel (Rudy Giuliani) is the former looks out for the “office” while the latter looks out for the political interests.  The distinctions are narrow, but the distinctions are very real.

The difference between the two sets of advisors is a distinction the media enjoy exploiting to give the appearance of division.  This creates friction and leads to turmoil.  The DC media know this game well, and any time there is a republican president in office they use this marginalization and isolation narrative to stir up trouble.

As a direct outcome The New York Times published an article on Saturday morning attempting to create division and pushing a narrative intended to create trouble amid two aligned groups: Inside Campaign group and Outside Campaign group.

NEW YORK TIMES – President Trump on Friday discussed making Sidney Powell, who as a lawyer for his campaign team unleashed a series of conspiracy theories about a Venezuelan plot to rig voting machines in the United States, a special counsel investigating voter fraud, according to two people briefed on the discussion.

It was unclear if Mr. Trump will move ahead with such a plan.

Most of his advisers opposed the idea, two of the people briefed on the discussion said, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, who in recent days sought to have the Department of Homeland Security join the campaign’s efforts to overturn Mr. Trump’s loss in the election. (more)

The larger goal by DC media is to isolate President Trump by fracturing his base of support.  The outside group (Powell, Wood, Flynn, Byrne) are fighting a different type of confrontational battle, while the inside group (Giuliani, Ellis et al) are attempting to bridge their legal effort with congressional and political support.

[NOTE: White House counsel is between both groups protecting “The Office”]

Obviously the MAGA community supports both approaches. However, to no-one’s surprise the approach of the more confrontational outside group feeds a yearning for justice amid a 2020 election outcome that is filled with evidence of fraud and injustice.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, one of the outside group, Patrick Byrne, went on Twitter on Sunday and kicked-up a hornets nest of division which plays directly into the hands of the DC media who thrive on the division narrative.

While Mr. Byrne may have the best intentions in mind, saying President Trump is “lied to” by his advisors is not the best approach.  Byrne may believe the confrontational strategy of the outside group is a better plan, and he may forcefully advocate for that approach, but going public with the content of an oval office meeting is never a good idea.

The content or context of a meeting in the Oval Office should always be kept private, and outlining conflict for the purpose of position advocacy never ends well.

The public airing of internal debate (or conflict) only leads to the principle officer (President Trump) having to draw distinct lines amid participants.  Internal conflict made public only fuels the division narrative.

If Patrick Byrne feels the president is not being served by his advisors, apparently he had four-and-a-half hours to make that exact point.  There is no value in taking an antagonistic approach public, and again it only feeds division…. which is what the media are seeking to exploit.

The conflict narrative is worsened by Mr. Byrne going onto Newsmax [SEE HERE] and podcasts [SEE HERE] to keep pushing his message that President Trump is not being served…. Byrne also gave interviews to Epoch Times:https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1341203384351731713&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconservativetreehouse.com%2F2020%2F12%2F21%2Fsean-spicer-interviews-rudy-giuliani-on-latest-developments-and-legal-election-processes-two-groups-have-distinct-approaches%2F&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550px

At a certain point enough purposeful animosity is simply enough.  No doubt the most gleeful group watching Byrne at work are the same media who can take a backseat and appreciate the division of President Trump’s base of support.

There is a certain predictability to all of this:

• Wednesday Night – Michael Flynn recommended (Newsmax) impounding Dominion machines by order of President Trump; and noted military possibilities.
• Thursday – The DC media stirred up the controversy around the insurrection act by painting Trump supporters as unstable.  Joint Chief’s General Milley said the military would not engage in any political effort.
• Friday – Sidney Powell and Patrick Byrne meet with President Trump in the Oval Office.
• Saturday – The New York Times framed the Powell/Byrne meeting as a radical effort to remain president.
• Saturday night – President Trump pushed-back against the Martial Law narrative.
• Sunday Patrick Byrne criticizes the White House advisory group, President Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and the office of White House counsel.

Notice the fuel for division is from the outside group. What happens next is predictable:

• Monday (tonight) sensing the president is being boxed into a division narrative; which ultimately weakens him and fractures the base of support; President Trump’s campaign lawyer Rudy Giuliani has no other option other than to push back against Sidney Powell and Patrick Byrne.

The bottom line is people within the MAGA community must resist the urge to fracture and divide based on differing opinion of approaches.  Everyone wants the same goal and nerves are on edge among patriots who have poured their heart and soul into supporting President Trump amid the face of four years of overwhelming adversity.

President Trump loves this country and is not a quitter amid adversity.  No-one loves this nation more than President Trump and his base of supporters. Everyone wants the best possible outcome.

Bottom line: Let Trump be Trump!

Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on December 21, 2020 by Sundance

Good grief the UniParty is in full swing and they don’t even care what our opinion is about this massive $2.5 TRILLION (approximated because it hasn’t been scored) COVID/Omnibus spending bill that totals over 5,600 pages.  [LINK TO BILL]

The actual 5,600 page bill wasn’t populated for public review until shortly after noon this afternoon and staff had an issue putting it on-line.  Incredibly, and in keeping with the previous approach preferred by congress, the House plans on voting on this bill today; and Mitch McConnell wants the Senate to pass it by unanimous consent (no recorded votes).

My rough review shows an approximately 70/30 split on the $900+ billion COVID package.  Approximately 30 percent +/- of the bill will actually help working class families and businesses on Main Street.  Approximately 70 percent of the bill will go to political donors, special interests, environmental lobbyists, K-Street groups who wrote the bill, foreign interests, Wall Street and corporate beneficiaries.  [Scour the Bill Here]https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1341078170754310144&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconservativetreehouse.com%2F2020%2F12%2F21%2Fhouse-voting-today-on-5600-page-pork-filled-covid-package-no-one-has-read-mcconnell-wants-unanimous-consent%2F&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550pxhttps://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-2&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1341094756361924608&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconservativetreehouse.com%2F2020%2F12%2F21%2Fhouse-voting-today-on-5600-page-pork-filled-covid-package-no-one-has-read-mcconnell-wants-unanimous-consent%2F&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550pxhttps://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-3&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1341119170671501312&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconservativetreehouse.com%2F2020%2F12%2F21%2Fhouse-voting-today-on-5600-page-pork-filled-covid-package-no-one-has-read-mcconnell-wants-unanimous-consent%2F&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550pxhttps://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-4&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1341117320572366854&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconservativetreehouse.com%2F2020%2F12%2F21%2Fhouse-voting-today-on-5600-page-pork-filled-covid-package-no-one-has-read-mcconnell-wants-unanimous-consent%2F&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550pxhttps://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-5&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1341104220380917762&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconservativetreehouse.com%2F2020%2F12%2F21%2Fhouse-voting-today-on-5600-page-pork-filled-covid-package-no-one-has-read-mcconnell-wants-unanimous-consent%2F&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550px

(Via AP) The total price tag of the bill clocks in at at least $2 trillion, but the no one yet knows the bill’s final cost. That’s because the legislation was introduced just hours before the expected votes, Congress’s nonpartisan scorekeeper, the Joint Committee on Taxation, won’t have time to publish an estimate of the total of all the credits, deductions, and special preferences before the bill likely becomes law, according to Bloomberg News.

In addition to the many provisions on COVID-19 relief, the behemoth bill packages a wide variety of measures big and small, including a human rights bill focused on Tibet, the establishment of two new Smithsonian museums, a provision on “doping” in horse racing, and a measure that seeks to protect patients from surprise medical bills. The bill also funds the federal government through Sept. 30 of next year.

The House is expected to vote on the legislation later Monday before it heads to the Senate, where Senate leaders hope to pass it by unanimous consent. President Trump has indicated he’ll sign the bill. (LINK)

Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on December 21, 2020 by Sundance

In what the media is calling AG Bill Barr’s final official duty while in office, AG Bill Barr announced today he will not be appointing a special counsel to look into accusations of fraud in the 2020 election; and he will not be appointing a special counsel to look into Hunter Biden’s financial -influence selling – entanglements with foreign governments.

“I have not seen a reason to appoint a special counsel and I have no plan to do so before I leave.”

The Attorney General used a press conference announcing charges against the bomb-maker in the 1988 Lockerbie terrorist attack on Pan-Am 103 to answer questions from the media about the election and the Biden controversy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr used his final public appearance to undercut President Donald Trump on multiple fronts Monday, saying he saw no reason to appoint a special counsel to look into the president’s claims about the 2020 election or to name one for the tax investigation of President-elect Joe Biden’s son.

In the course of breaking with Trump on matters that have been consuming the president, Barr also reinforced the belief of federal officials that Russia was behind a massive hack of U.S. government agencies, not China as Trump had suggested.

[…] Barr said the Justice Department’s existing investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings was “being handled responsibly and professionally.”  (more)

Video of the question and answer below:

Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on December 21, 2020 by Sundance

Today, Attorney General William Barr announced new charges against a former Libyan intelligence operative, Abu Agela Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi [DOJ Announcement] for his role in building the bomb that killed 270 individuals in the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on Dec. 21, 1988.  [Video and Transcript Below]

[Transcript] – On this day 32 years ago, December 21, 1988, at 7:03 p.m. local time, a bomb destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 as it flew 31,000 feet above Lockerbie, Scotland. The massive Boeing 747 plane, known as the “Clipper Maid of the Seas,” exploded and fell to the ground in countless pieces scattered across 840 square miles, nearly the entire width of Scotland.

The explosion killed all 259 people on board—243 passengers and 16 crew members, including 190 Americans. Falling debris claimed the lives of 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground, many of whom were in their homes and had just sat down for dinner.

The Lockerbie bombing remains the deadliest single terrorist attack in the history of the United Kingdom, and the second deadliest terrorist attack for Americans—surpassed only by the 9/11 attacks.

Immediately after the bombing, the FBI partnered with law enforcement agencies from Scotland to investigate. That joint investigation led to the filing of charges in 1991 against two Libyan intelligence officers. The investigation also pointed to another conspirator—a man known by the name “Abu Agela Masud”—but at the time, investigators were unable to identify or locate that suspect.

Joined this morning by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers … Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin … and Kara Weipz, whose brother Rick Monetti was killed on the flight and who now leads a Pan Am Flight 103 advocacy organization, I am pleased to announce that the United States has filed criminal charges against the third conspirator, Abu Agila Muhammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi, for his role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

Let there be no mistake: no amount of time or distance will stop the United States, and its partners in Scotland, from pursuing justice in this case.

Well over a third of Americans alive today were not yet born on the day of the Lockerbie bombing or would not have been old enough to remember it. But for those of us who do remember, that tragic event and the iconic images of its aftermath, some of which are displayed here today, are forever seared in our memories.

Passengers and crew aboard the flight came from 21 countries around the world. But by far the largest contingent on that doomed flight were Americans, including a group of 35 study-abroad students from Syracuse University who were on their way home to spend the holidays with their families.

There is no question that the Pan Am 103 attack was aimed at the United States, and this heinous assault lives in infamy in the collective memory of the American people. At Arlington National Cemetery, a cairn of 270 Scottish stones honors “those who lost their lives in this attack against America.” And at Syracuse University, 35 Remembrance Scholarships are awarded each year, with each recipient representing a particular Syracuse student killed aboard the plane.

Following the bombing, many of the victims’ families made an agonizing journey to Scotland to the place where they lost their loved ones. The people of Lockerbie, though devastated themselves, provided around-the-clock hospitality. In an unforgettable gesture, a group of Scottish women meticulously collected clothing from amid the wreckage; washed, ironed, and folded the garments they found; and sent them home to the victims’ family members as a final connection to their loved ones. Sadly, the remains of 17 victims were never identified or found.

From the beginning, the United States and Scotland have been determined to find and hold accountable those who perpetrated the Pan Am 103 attack. As I mentioned, our joint investigation led to the filing of charges in November 1991 in both the United States and Scotland against two Libyan intelligence officers—Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah. Nearly ten years later, in May 2000, a specially established Scottish court convened in The Netherlands to try the two men. In January 2001, Megrahi was convicted on all charges, but Fhimah was acquitted.

The breakthrough that has led to the charges announced today arose when law enforcement learned in 2016 that the third conspirator had been arrested after the collapse of the Qaddafi regime and interviewed by a Libyan law enforcement officer in September 2012. According to the criminal complaint affidavit, Masud built the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 and worked with Megrahi and Fhimah to carry out the plot. The affidavit also alleges that the operation had been ordered by the leadership of Libyan intelligence and that, after the downing of the aircraft, Qaddafi had thanked Masud for the successful attack on the United States. In addition to his involvement in the Lockerbie bombing, Masud was also involved in the 1986 bombing of the LaBelle Discotheque in Berlin, West Germany, which killed two American service members and a Turkish woman. Although Masud remains in Libyan custody, Libyan authorities provided a copy of the interview to law enforcement.

Based on that and other evidence, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division unsealed a complaint this morning in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charging Masud with terrorism-related crimes for his role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. At long last, this man responsible for killing Americans and many others will be subject to justice for his crimes.

The Lockerbie bombing case holds special significance for me because I was serving as the Acting Attorney General when charges were filed against Megrahi and Fhimah in 1991. I know firsthand the toil, tears, and sweat that have been poured into pursuing justice for the victims of the Lockerbie bombing and their families. And so it is with profound gratitude that I recognize and thank our law enforcement friends in Scotland for their nearly 32-year partnership with us on this case.

I also thank Lord Advocate of Scotland James Wolffe for his continued partnership. There is much work still to be done, and we will not be able to do it without our colleagues in Scotland. We are committed to working arm-in-arm with them as we move forward in this case. I am especially proud of the countless agents and analysts of the FBI who have worked the Pan Am 103 case relentlessly over the decades. Thank you for your dedication and perseverance. And finally, I thank the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division for their many years of hard work and for preparing the charges in this case.

Today, Masud remains in Libyan custody, and we intend to work closely with our Scottish counterparts to use every feasible and appropriate means to ensure that he answers for his part in the Lockerbie bombing. It is my hope that Libyan authorities will allow Masud to be tried for this crime and will provide the support and witnesses necessary to bring him to justice.

Nevertheless, while we will never rest in our efforts to hold Masud accountable, I hope that the families of the lost will find some comfort in the charges filed today. The alleged facts underlying these charges fill important gaps in the historical record and help complete the account of how the bombing was executed and who was responsible. Finding the truth is the first step toward achieving justice.

Much has changed in the more than three decades since Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie. Libya accepted responsibility for the bombing in 2003. Qaddafi and his regime are no more. Libya is no longer at war with America. And while we still face terrorist threats, our terrorist enemies are different, and we are more vigilant. Time, to be sure, marches on, and there is a tendency to think that grief does as well. But even though grief, like memories, may fade, for those who have lost love ones unexpectedly, it never truly fades away.

To the families of those who died in the sky above Lockerbie all those years ago, I know that the small step we take today cannot compensate for the sorrow you feel to this day. But I hope that you will find some measure of solace in knowing that we in the United States Government, on behalf of the American people and in partnership with our counterparts in Scotland, have never relented, and will never relent, in the pursuit of justice for you and your loved ones.

Thank you.

[End Transcript]Share