A Fox News report on Tuesday blamed conservatives for violence that occurred during a protest at the Oregon State Capitol.
"Oregon State Police arrested four people after a confrontation with anti-lockdown demonstrators who pushed their way into the state capitol building yesterday," Fox News host Sandra Smith reported. "Oregon police have had violent confrontations with left-wing groups. Now the violence is coming from the right."
Correspondent Jonathan Hunt reported that police are expecting an extended "battle with right-wing groups, including Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer."
"In Monday's disturbances, groups of protesters -- some of them armed -- smashed windows and broke into the state capitol in Salem while politicians were debating COVID lockdowns and economic relief," Hunt explained. "Troopers attempted to push the crowd back after some got inside. Some of the protesters were armed with handguns and rifles."
"The protest, with many taking part unmasked, was organized by the Washington-based right-wing group Patriot Prayer," he added. "So if law enforcement officials in Oregon thought they might get a break from protests post-election, it seems they were badly mistaken, only the political motivations of the protesters have actually changed."
Former Trump administration adviser Stephen Miller defended former President Donald Trump by comparing hush money payments for a porn star to "alimony."
During an interview with right-wing host Charlie Kirk, Miller reacted to Trump's claim that he will be indicted in connection to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Miller compared Daniels to an ex-wife even though Trump claimed he did not have an affair with her.
"Under this theory, if the candidate is running for office and there's a dispute over, say alimony with his ex-wife," Miller offered, "and the ex-wife requests a different amount of alimony based on, you know, years-long disputes, that the candidate would be legally obliged to turn all the alimony payments over to his campaign."
"And from now on, his wife will get all of her alimony payments from his election campaign," he continued. "But to not do that would be a crime that if you tried to pay alimony with your personal funds, you're a criminal."
Miller concluded: "That is what this would mean if it was taken seriously But again, the whole point is the whole point is that they are Marxist, and the truth is nothing to them."
Earlier this month, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office signaled that charges were likely for Trump. The former president is expected to face a misdemeanor for fraud related to the payments. The charge could be elevated to a felony if Trump is found to have violated campaign finance law.
A judge on Monday denied a request for a mistrial in the seditious conspiracy trial involving six individuals affiliated with the Oath Keepers militia.
CNN reported that the trial "descended into chaos" after it was discovered that jurors had access to two video clips the judge had prohibited during the trial, one showing rioters breaching the west side of the U.S. Capitol and another showing rioters accosting law enforcement officers who were trying to close a gate.
Defense attorneys moved for a mistrial after the revelations.
“I just can’t believe the only remedy at this point is a mistrial,” said District Judge Amit Mehta. “Maybe I’m wrong.”
Defense lawyer Juli Haller clashed with the judge after bringing the matter to his attention, but Mehta noted that defense attorneys had been allowed to review the exhibits given to jurors and signed off on them.
“None of the defense lawyers did what I instructed,” Mehta said. “Everybody had at least a weekend to ask for what had been sent back and review it. Defense counsel did not do it, that’s fine.”
He told jurors to disregard the clips if they had seen them.
“I’m not going to ask you if you have reviewed them,” Mehta told jurors. “If you haven’t reviewed them, I’m going to ask you to ignore them. If you have, please disregard.”
Sandra Parker, Laura Steele, Connie Meggs and William Isaacs are accused of entering the Capitol on January 6, 2021, while prosecutors said two other defendants, Michael Greene and Bennie Parker, did not. All have pleaded not guilty.
Donald Trump Jr. is not happy that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has not been stronger in condemning his father potentially being indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Although DeSantis did criticize Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg for potentially bringing a case against Trump for allegedly making hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, he also took a subtle shot at the former president when he said, "I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over an alleged affair."
"So DeSantis thinks that Dems weaponizing the law to indict President Trump is a 'manufactured circus' and isn't a 'real issue,'" Trump Jr. fumed. "Pure weakness. Now we know why he was silent all weekend. He's totally owned by Karl Rove, Paul Ryan & his billionaire donors. 100% Controlled Opposition."
Trump allies have been demanding that DeSantis speak up about his potential criminal indictment, even as Trump has been launching nonstop attacks on the Florida governor, including sharing memes that accuse him of being a "groomer."
Trump would become the first former or sitting president to ever be charged with a crime if an indictment is filed -- a move that would send shockwaves through the 2024 White House race, in which Trump is running to regain office.
Bragg, an elected Democrat, has not confirmed any plans to indict, but has indicated that prosecutors are nearing a decision by putting key witnesses in front of a grand jury in recent weeks and offering Trump the opportunity to testify.
The 76-year-old former Republican president said over the weekend that he expects to be "arrested" on Tuesday and urged supporters to "Protest, take our nation back!"
"They are MANY years beyond the Statute of Limitations which, in this instance, is TWO YEARS. More importantly, THERE WAS NO CRIME!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Monday.
