Tag: kayleigh mcenany
How Former Aide Molly Michael Became Trump's 'Witness From Hell'

How Former Aide Molly Michael Became Trump's 'Witness From Hell'

After members of Donald Trump’s White House staff gave testimony to the House Select Committee on January 6 in 2021, Yahoo News reported that among the few women remaining on his good side were “former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Trump’s executive assistant Molly Michael, and his daughter Ivanka.”

McEnany both came from and returned to her slot in right-wing blond punditry. Ivanka is enjoying those Saudi billions and getting featured inPeople. But it’s a pretty good bet that one week ago, Molly Michael wasn’t a name that was on anyone’s radar. She’s not on television. She’s not showing off her latest clothing line on the beaches of Costa Rica. Certainly, no one would have pointed to the longtime Trump assistant as a potential big player in America’s political future.

All it took to change that was a box of notecards.

On Monday, reports showed that Michael had been compiling a collection of notecards. Those notecards happened to be classified documents that Trump had failed to turn over to the FBI. Instead, he used them to write to-do lists that he gave to Michael.

According to ABC News, those cards bore “visible classification markings” and had been part of briefings given to Trump when he was still in office. However, Trump did not hand them over when requested, nor did he store them in the storage room where several boxes of other classified materials had been kept. Instead, he scribbled on them like scratch paper and handed them to Michael.

It was Michael who recognized that, as classified documents, the cards should be kept. They were still on her desk when the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022. However, the FBI didn’t notice Michael’s collection of cards. So she did the right thing and made the FBI aware of the cards the next day.

The cards represent an unknown number of additional classified documents that are currently not the subject of charges leveled against Trump or others. While referring to them as “notecards” may make the documents seem trivial, their description as having been previously used in briefings makes it likely that some of these cards contain distilled information that was highly important for military or diplomatic purposes. The cards were created as a means of helping Trump deal with complex information, and represent a treasure trove of compressed, no-nonsense facts—classified facts.

What’s also clear is that, since Michael was on the receiving end of these to-do lists coming from Trump, there had to be some source of these cards that Trump was using. It’s unclear if that source of the notecards was ever identified and secured.

Trump had a stack of cards containing classified information. That information likely included the most important details of high-level briefings in an easily accessible form. How many of the cards he had, how many were used as scratch paper in notes he sent to Michael, and how many were discarded before Michael recognized their importance is all unknown.

But none of that is what makes Michael’s testimony so potentially radioactive for Trump.

Trump currently faces 37 charges on the indictment issued in the Southern District of Florida in connection with his mishandling of classified documents. Most of those charges are individual counts of willful retention of national defense information connected to specific documents. However, Trump also faces a charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice focusing both on his failure to hand over documents on request, and on his efforts, along with his assistant Walt Nauta, to withhold documents and convince others to go long in a coverup.

Michael is important to the classified documents case because she can confirm every aspect of how the documents were handled, including Trump’s direct involvement in efforts to hide classified documents.

Michael was Trump’s former special assistant and Oval Office operations coordinator. She has worked with him since 2018. She’s the only member on that short list of still-trusted assistants whom Trump convinced to come with him to Mar-a-Lago and take up a job of continuing to do … whatever it was Trump put on those lists.

She was implicitly trusted by Trump and deeply involved in his day-to-day actions, both in Washington and at Mar-a-Lago. She’s also believed to be “Trump employee 2” in the indictment. If that assessment is correct, it means Michael was fully aware of how Trump was treating other classified documents.

The famous stack of boxes that was kept in a shower? Here’s how they got in there.

Michael may not have been the one who toted the boxes into place, but she was certainly aware of where they were going. She was also the recipient of a text from Nauta showing that one of the boxes of classified documents had spilled out across the floor.

It was Michael who provided Trump with an image of how the boxes had been stored. It was Michael who worked with Nauta to select boxes to bring to Trump. It was Michael who, along with Nauta, took boxes from Trump’s residence to be handed over to the National Archives.

And yet Nauta is facing charges for his involvement in dealing with those documents. And Michael … is not.

The reason seems to be that Michael testified extensively to investigators, expressing her concerns about the materials that were not turned over when she and Nauta drove those boxes to the National Archives.

All the way back when the FBI carried out its search of Mar-a-Lago, there were cries of outrage from both Trump and Republicans who insisted he had done what the government asked. After all, hadn’t he just turned over boxes of classified documents?

However, the affidavit connected to that search says it was conducted not just because the boxes sent to the National Archives contained classified documents, but also because “there is probable cause to believe that additional documents that contain classified [National Defense Information] or that are Presidential records subject to record retention requirements currently remain at the premises.”

How did the FBI know there were other documents remaining? It can’t be certain that it was information from Michael that triggered the search. However, according to sources contacted by ABC News, she became “increasingly concerned” about how Trump was failing to return requested documents and felt that Trump’s claims would be “easy to disprove.”

Michael isn’t just the woman with the notecards: She’s at the center of the classified documents case. She may even be a principal source on which the DOJ based its request for that initial search warrant at Mar-a-Lago.

Her deep involvement in the handling of these documents, her longtime involvement with Trump, her knowledge of every aspect of how the documents were moved, her acknowledgement that Trump was actively working to conceal documents that he had not turned over, and the fact that she has not been charged—it all adds up to one thing: star witness.

The name Molly Michael is still obscure at this point. It’s not going to stay that way.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Peter Thiel's Right-Wing Dating App Can't Perform For Clients

Peter Thiel's Right-Wing Dating App Can't Perform For Clients

The Right Stuff, a conservative dating app funded by gay billionaire Peter Thiel, is showing signs of failure barely three months after its launch.

In October, the app had 40,000 downloads, according to data from Sensor Tower, an analytics firm cited by The Daily Beast. But between November 1 and December 20, the app had just 11,000 downloads.

“The Right Stuff is all about getting into the right dating pool with people who share the same values and beliefs as you,” an early promotional ad for the app proclaimed. The ad featured only white people, including Ryann McEnany, the younger sister of Donald Trump’s former White House secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

“Other dating apps have gone woke,” the app’s website says. “Quit swiping, scrolling, and trolling the wrong people. Connect with people who aren’t offended by everything.”

However, the app is only available on Apple iPhones (not Google Android phones), it doesn’t allow same-sex matches, it doesn’t allow transgender and non-binary users, and its current users are complaining about its invite-only verification process.

On December 19 review says, “I downloaded this app more than two months ago, even got sent a package from them to become an ambassador, and STILL have not been accepted onto the app. That’s ridiculous and unacceptable.”

“How can someone in a heavily liberal area get an invite… Most people around this area wouldn’t download this app, much less send an invite,” another reviewer wrote. “Rather dumb.”

The profile creation process also asks users to list their “favorite liberal lie” and thoughts about the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riots. Two reviewers claimed that FBI and police officers visited their homes after filling out their profiles.

One reviewer, Bradenwh wrote, “I answered the question about January 6th honestly and the next day I have two police officers at my door telling me that they got a call alleging that I was involved in domestic terrorism??? This app was clearly created by Democrats as a way to subvert our constitutional rights as conservative Americans. Do not use this app unless you want to be harassed by left-wing fascists.”

A Right Stuff spokesperson told Gizmodo, “The claims that users were contacted by the FBI or that we forwarded information to law enforcement are completely false.”

The app will likely follow a long line of little-known and failed right-wing dating apps like Righter, Donald Dater, TrumpSingles, Patrio, MAGA Mingle, and Conservatives Only.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Thiel's New Right-Wing Dating App Got 'Amazing' Reviews (LOL)

Thiel's New Right-Wing Dating App Got 'Amazing' Reviews (LOL)

When news came out that former Trump administration Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany had a sister, and that sister (Ryann McEnany) was given seed money by the shadowy Peter Thiel to create a conservative dating app, everyone rejoiced.* Finally, a place for people who think Tucker Carlson is kind of hot to go and look for their Mr. Right (stuff!).

Responses to the first advertisements that went around the internet were very fun to read. Since the app hit the Apple Store it has received around 275 reviews (as of the writing of this story), but so far the reviews are not great. Actually, the score is not great, with The Right Stuff only receiving an average of two out of five stars from customers. But the reviews have actually been amazing.

Here’s a sample: “I love my country. I love the second amendment. And I love God. These days it’s hard to find a woman who values my patriotism. My faith. And so after being ghosted by every match on Tinder, I decided to give this app a try. I created my profile, uploaded a selfie of me sitting in my truck with sunglasses, and it worked great. The interface was intuitive and easy to use. But the weird thing is, I couldn’t find any women on it. I don’t know, maybe the app is bugged? I tried switching my preference to men (just to make sure it was working) and dads of handsome men came up. I hope developers fix this.”

Here’s a one-star review that seems to really want answers.

Invite only and asks for too much personal information

What?!? Ok interface but violates my privacy. Way too many personal questions, I don’t want to give out my phone number so can’t sign up. Stupid to have to be invited unless you refer 3 other people, who will join? I have heard there are no women on the site and the ad shows hot conservative women but there aren’t any. Get rid of the January 6 question, have you seen all the men at January 6? Duh. Liberal web sites don’t ask for so much personal info, be better and respect my privacy. Why so many personal questions and invite only? Stupid

I give you a one-star review that could be real or could be a joke.

Socialist App in Wolves Clothing

I saw this app advertised on one of my trusted conservative news channels. My wife passed away two days ago and I think I’ve mourned long enough. She would want me to be happy and get back out there on the dating scene. So when I saw this Right Stuff stuff that was about dating stuff I knew I had to jump on it.

Much to my disappointment when I signed up, I realized it’s invite only. How am I supposed to marry the next woman of my dreams (preferably she has a great life insurance plan) when it’s invite only? I did some research and found out why.
This app is actually funded by Bill Gates. What happens is they take your photo and information and store it in a database that will be used in the future as a way to identify and exterminate all of us conservative Christian’s.

I suggest you delete this app now and never use it again.

But Walter, you ask, are there no five-star reviews? I give you some five-star reviews of The Right Stuff dating app.

Better then Grindr

Once you get past the invite only, it’s game on. So much better than Grindr for guys. it’s basically all men. perfect.

Here’s another.

Note that good

The app asked where I was on Jan 6 so I explained in detail how I attacked the Capitol. Next thing I know...87,000 armed IRS agents showed up at my door.. also, it’s all dudes.

How about this forlorn one-star review.

The right to date

If only democrats access to the polls were as restricted as access to this app. That would definitely restore my faith in election integrity. Until I get my invite I guess I’m stuck in my truck on TikTok trying to fight the deep state that is. Love Candice [sic] Owens I’m just not attracted to black women but I’m not racist. #iknowcandiceowens

Finally:

Well it’s bad.

If you’re looking for racists, this is your app.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Danziger Draws

Danziger Draws

Jeff Danziger lives in New York City. He is represented by CWS Syndicate and the Washington Post Writers Group. He is the recipient of the Herblock Prize and the Thomas Nast (Landau) Prize. He served in the US Army in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star and the Air Medal. He has published eleven books of cartoons and one novel. Visit him at DanzigerCartoons.

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