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'Shocking': CNN's Jake Tapper aghast as whistleblowers targeted 'for telling the truth'

CNN’S Jake Tapper launched a terse take down of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting two members of his former administration he now views as his political enemies with Department of Justice investigations.

The presidential directives came Wednesday during an Oval Office signing ceremony where Trump called former Homeland Security cybersecurity director Chris Krebs “a disgrace” and “fraud.” Trump made similar statements about former DHS official Miles Taylor, who he said was “guilty of treason,” as he asked his DOJ to probe the two former Republican officials.

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Trump Cabinet member accused of illegally voting

President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, cast a ballot in Hawaii, even though she had declared her state of residence as Texas and filed an under-oath certification of a homestead in Travis County, reported CNN — potentially running afoul of state voting laws.

"Gabbard’s attorneys said she applied for a homestead tax exemption, which Texas law only allows on a principal residence, because she 'took the advice of local officials' who told her it was required to shield her address from public view. Her office said she was facing a significant security threat," reported Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman, Anna-Maja Rappard, and Kyung Lah. "Gabbard’s representatives did not respond to questions about why she separately swore under oath that she was a Texas resident if she considered herself to still live in Hawaii, and did not provide a comment from her after repeated requests."

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Karoline Leavitt primed unthinkable action after Sonia Sotomayor's warning: analyst

MSNBC’S Jordan Rubin delivered a message to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt after she floated the startling suggestion that the U.S. government could potentially deport American citizens who are “violent” repeat offenders “if it’s legal.”

“It’s not,” the legal analyst Rubin clapped back. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.”

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'Guy with a laser pointer': GOP pollster says Trump's 'insane' order may be a decoy

President Donald Trump targeted two members of his former administration with an executive order on Wednesday and then asked if the Justice Department would investigate them.

Among the targets is Miles Taylor, who published an anonymous New York Times op-ed exposing shocking details about Trump from the inside. Chris Krebs, the other Trump target, was the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He released a statement saying that 2020 "was a secure election."

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House plows ahead with budget vote as MAGA lawmakers warn GOP 'doesn't have the votes'

The House of Representatives is plowing ahead with a scheduled vote on the Senate's budget blueprint Wednesday evening, even as some Republicans in the chamber warn they don't appear to have enough support to pass the significant piece of President Donald Trump's agenda.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said the vote will proceed as planned, with a final vote expected around 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. But Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) said he doesn't know why the GOP is pushing ahead with a final vote, telling CNN's Manu Raju he's certain his party "doesn't have the votes" to pass the legislation.

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'Played their cards wrong': Analyst slams 'silly' handwringing of Trump's former backers

After Trump announced his widely criticized "reciprocal tariffs" policy, which many believe could lead the United States into a recession, he temporarily eased some of his import duties for three months. However, some of Trump's most vocal supporters in the 2024 presidential election are expressing their dissatisfaction, saying this is not what they voted for.

A notable example: billionaire financier Bill Ackman.

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Jewish advocates accuse Trump of using them 'as an excuse' to spy on immigrants

A Jewish-led progressive advocacy group was among those expressing horror Wednesday at a new policy unveiled by the Trump administration as part of what it claims is a wide-scale effort to protect Jewish people from antisemitism, but which critics warn is itself antisemitic.

The decision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to begin considering immigrants' "antisemitic activity on social media," said Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, is actually an example of the administration "using Jews as an excuse to move a cruel, anti-immigrant, authoritarian agenda."

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‘Dark path’: Ex-national security official speaks out after Trump labels him a 'traitor'

Former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor sounded off moments after Donald Trump signed an executive order directing his Department of Justice to investigate the one-time aide who the president said Wednesday was “guilty of treason.”

Trump used an Oval Office signing ceremony to take aim at Taylor for what he said were “terrible things” Taylor wrote in a New York Times op-ed under the pseudonym "Anonymous" where he claimed to be part of the so-called resistance while a member of the president’s first administration

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'Behold the Art of the Deal': Anxiety-ridden Republicans profanely blunt as Trump caves

Republican lawmakers breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday after President Donald Trump backed off from his trade war, agreeing to a 90-day pause.

Politico reported that lawmakers have been concerned about Trump's tariffs for a week, but few have been willing to respond. Instead, they simply held out hope that he'd back down.

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'How can people believe you?' Trump credibility challenged to his face after huge walkback

President Donald Trump was forced to try to explain to reporters on Wednesday why he suddenly offered a 90-day partial reprieve from his "reciprocal tariffs" for every country except China — and how he could be trusted to keep his word in diplomatic and economic negotiations going forward.

"What is your credibility like?" CNN's Jeff Zeleny asked Trump, in a moment captured by the pro-Trump Right Side Broadcasting Network. "Because you said these tariffs would go in effect on Monday. You said no pause, today, there is a pause. So how can people believe you?"

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'Re-fired': Chief Justice John Roberts gives Trump greenlight to ax 2 agency heads — again

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued an order Wednesday allowing a stay after an appeals court ordered it was unlawful for President Donald Trump to fire two federal agency heads, Cathy Harris and Gwynne Wilcox.

The order Wednesday came after all judges on a federal appeals panel ruled in favor of reinstating the women.

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'My beautiful hair!' Trump order aims to 'make America’s showers great again'

President Donald Trump ditched his traditional MAGA catchphrase to make way for a new slogan: “Make America’s showers great again.”

The president on Wednesday signed an executive order rolling back Obama and Biden-era regulations he’s criticized as being responsible for poor water pressure, The Washington Post reported. Trump made the same move during his first term, but former President Joe Biden reinstated the water restrictions.

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'Guilty of treason': Trump orders DOJ to investigate 'anonymous' staffer from first term

President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Justice to investigate Miles Taylor, a member of his first administration who wrote a New York Times op-ed under the pseudonym "Anonymous" claiming to be a member of the so-called resistance.

"What this presidential memorandum is going to do, one, it's going to strip any active clearance that he has in light of his past activities involving classified information," White House staff secretary Will Scharf explained as he handed the executive order to the president. "It's also going to order the Department of Justice to investigate his activities to see what else might come up in that context, given his egregious behavior during your previous administration."

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