An overwhelming majority of President Trump supporters surveyed by top American pollster and data analyst, Frank Luntz say they’d still vote for the president again despite last week’s riot on Capitol Hill and his impeachment.

This week the House of Reps charged Trump with inciting insurrection and impeached him for a second time in the space of one year.

 
But it seems that hasn’t reduced his fan base.

Frank Luntz tweeted:

“Over the weekend, I did a poll of Trump voters after the storming of the U.S. Capitol. I asked them what was the greatest threat to America’s security. Their top responses: • Socialism: ??% • The Radical Left: ??% • Fake News Media: ??% 

“Despite their criticism of his conduct since November 3rd and last week, ??% of Trump voters say they’d still vote for him if another presidential election were held today,” Luntz added.

“Only 25% of Trump voters polled stated that the president was responsible for the Capitol Hill riot, which left five people dead and sparked a push to impeach him. Sixty percent said that Vice President Mike Pence acted more appropriately than Trump during the aftermath of the riot.

“Additionally, 78% of the 800 Trump voters polled said they agree with the president’s claim that the election was “stolen” from him, and 67% believe Trump would be the winner if votes were “counted accurately and fairly.”

“When asked whether the president should continue his fight to stay in the White House, voters were split with 50% saying he should and 50% saying he should leave”.

Trump is set to leave office on the 20th of January 2021.

By Kingsley U.

The secretive state of North Korea has unveiled a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile, described by state media as “the world’s most powerful weapon”.

Several of the missiles were displayed at a parade overseen by leader Kim Jong-un, on Thursday in Pyongyang and comes days before the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president, giving the new president fresh foreign policy challenges as Trump’s diplomacy with North Korea failed to work.

“The world’s most powerful weapon, submarine-launch ballistic missile, entered the square one after another, powerfully demonstrating the might of the revolutionary armed forces,” the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The event on Thursday did not showcase North Korea’s largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was unveiled at a much larger military parade in October. That colossal weapon is believed to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead to anywhere in the US.

The weapon unveiling also comes after Kim called the US his country’s “biggest enemy”.

He said that the US was Pyongyang’s “biggest obstacle for our revolution and our biggest enemy… no matter who is in power, the true nature of its policy against North Korea will never change”.

Analysts noted it was a previously unseen weapon. “New year, new Pukguksong,” tweeted North Korea expert Ankit Panda, using the North Korean name for their submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).

Wearing a leather coat and fur hat, leader Kim is pictured smiling and waving as he watched the display in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square, which also included infantry troops, artillery and tanks.

By Jide N.

US President Donald Trump has been permanently banned from Snapchat, according to a statement by the platform.

The move by Snap to permanently ban Trump from the social app comes after Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Twitch, and other internet platforms issued similar bans. On Tuesday, YouTube suspended Trump’s channel for seven days for a video violating its policies prohibiting incitement to violence.

“Last week we announced an indefinite suspension of President Trump’s Snapchat (SNAP) account, and have been assessing what long term action is in the best interest of our Snapchat community,” a Snapchat spokesperson said. 

“In the interest of public safety, and based on his attempts to spread misinformation, hate speech, and incite violence, which are clear violations of our guidelines, we have made the decision to permanently terminate his account.”

News of Snapchat’s ban of Trump comes after he became the first American president in history to be impeached twice, over his involvement in inciting a mob of rioters that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

By Kingsley U.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern which was looted by a rioter during the riot at the U.S. Capitol last week, has been returned. 

One of the pro-Trump supporters, Adam Johnson was caught on camera grinning and waving while toting Pelosi’s lectern during the siege.

However on Wednesday January 13, a staffer was seen in photos wheeling the lectern through the Capitol’s Statuary Hall and to the Rayburn Room, just off the floor of the House of Representatives.

Pelosi (D-Calif.) was expected to speak at the podium later Wednesday, after the House votes on an article of impeachment accusing President Trump of inciting an insurrection in the deadly Jan. 6 riot.

36-year-old Johnson was arrested on Friday January 8 and faces charges including knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and theft of government property. He was released on Monday January 11, on a $25,000 bond.

Following the insurrection, Trump is now the first president in history to be impeached twice. House Democrats impeached Trump in December 2019 charging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in his dealings with Ukraine. A new Senate trial is expected to begin after Trump leaves office next week. 

By Lucky B.

Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez will be performing at the swearing-in for US President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on January 20, the Presidential Inaugural Committee has announced.

Gaga, 34, will perform the national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, which will be held on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building. On The Floor singer Jennifer, 51, who endorsed Biden, and took part in a virtual chat with the president-elect during the campaign, is also on-board to give a musical performance at the event.

The ceremony will begin with an invocation from Father Leo J. O’Donovan, a longtime friend of Biden and his family, before a poetry reading by Amanda Gorman, who was named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in the U.S. in 2017.

Biden’s inauguration will also feature a tie to the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), a union that has long supported Biden, and was the first to endorse him in the 2020 race.

Here’s the lineup:

• Invocation: Father Leo J. O’Donovan, a Jesuit Catholic priest who was Georgetown University president from 1989 to 2001.

• Pledge of Allegiance: Andrea Hall, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 3920. She’s been a firefighter for more than 20 years in Fulton County, Ga., and was the department’s first African American woman to be promoted to captain.

• National Anthem: Lady Gaga, one-of-a kind artist, performer, and trailblazer in beauty and fashion.

• Poetry reading: Amanda Gorman, named first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by UrbanWord and the Library of Congress.

• Musical performance: Jennifer Lopez, one of the most influential Latin artists in the country.

• Benediction: Rev. Dr. Silvester Beaman, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Del. He has known the Biden family for 30 years, and is a confidant and friend of the president-elect.

Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Tony Allen said the participants “represent one clear picture of the grand diversity of our great nation.”

“They are also committed to the President-elect and the Vice-President-elect’s steadfast vision of a new chapter in our American story in which we are an America united in overcoming the deep divisions and challenges facing our people, unifying the country, and restoring the soul of our nation.”

By Kingsley U.

Uganda’s communications regulator has reportedly ordered internet service providers to immediately shut down social media and messaging services ahead of the country’s presidential election.

The move comes two days before the country’s presidential election which will see one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, Yoweri Museveni, against opposition frontrunner and popular singer Bobi Wine.

In a letter seen by news agencies on Tuesday, January 12, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Executive Director Irene Sewankambo ordered telecommunications companies to “immediately suspend any access and use” of social media and online messaging platforms.

An industry insider who spoke to AFP news agency on condition of anonymity said the order was first communicated in “nasty and aggressive” phone calls to the telecommunications companies on Tuesday morning. 

The order was retaliation for Facebook deleting pro-government accounts for seeking to manipulate public debate before Thursday’s key polls, the insider said

The list of banned social media sites includes Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Signal, and Viber. Some of these were already offline on Tuesday, the source added. 

On Monday, a list of over 100 virtual private networks was distributed to internet service providers by the UCC with orders to block them, according to the insider.

UCC spokesman Ibrahim Bbosa told AFP: “I am not aware of a directive to switch off internet or social media platforms.”

“There has been slow connectivity on the platforms which can be partly due to heavy traffic as a result of the forthcoming elections” he said.

This comes a day after a number of Ugandan government officials and ruling party members had their Facebook accounts shut down over accusations they are seeking to manipulate public debate ahead of elections 
 

By Jide N.

A member of the US Congress has revealed that thousands of armed pro-Donald Trump extremists are plotting to surround the US Capitol ahead of President-elect, Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Conor Lamb, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said he was briefed alongside other lawmakers on a series of new threats against lawmakers and the Capitol itself.

“They were talking about 4,000 armed ‘patriots’ to surround the Capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in,” Rep. Conor Lamb, a Pennsylvania Democrat, told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.” on Tuesday, January 12.

“They have published rules of engagement, meaning when you shoot and when you don’t. So this is an organized group that has a plan. They are committed to doing what they’re doing because I think in their minds, you know, they are patriots and they’re talking about 1776 and so this is now a contest of wills.”

He continued, “We are not negotiating with or reasoning with these people. They have to be prosecuted. They have to be stopped. And unfortunately, that includes the President, which is why he needs to be impeached and removed from office.”

The briefing to lawmakers comes after the FBI released a bulletin warning of “armed protests” being planned at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, DC.

The news will only increase the state of fear among lawmakers and law enforcement officials following last week’s deadly siege at the US Capitol prompted by Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden’s Electoral win.

“They are very strong when we are weak. That is when the mob psychology takes hold and they are emboldened, but when met with actual determined force, I think a lot of these fantasy world beliefs about what will happen when they come to Washington will melt away,” one of the Congress members briefed by FBI said to CNN..

The member added that lawmakers are hoping National Guard troops who are being dispatched to the capital are vetted, because while lawmakers trust most of them, some might be Trump’s fans.

Ahead of the inauguration in Washington D.C on January 20th, security measures are being stepped up, with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies preparing for the possibility of more violence.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday urged Americans to avoid the city during Biden’s inauguration next week and to participate virtually, referring at a news conference to “very extreme factions in our country that are armed and dangerous.”

 Trump also approved an emergency declaration for Washington DC ahead of the ceremony after the Mayor of the city requested it.

The FBI is also tracking reports of “various threats to harm President-Elect Biden ahead of the presidential inauguration,” the bulletin states.

 “Additional reports indicate threats against VP-Elect Harris and Speaker Pelosi.

Asked if Biden should still do his inauguration outside, Democrat Lamb said if Biden wants to still go ahead he would support him.

“I believe that Joe Biden was elected President by a huge margin because the American people trust him to exercise powers of commander in chief. And I saw him on TV yesterday saying he’s not afraid to do this outside. And I agree with him and I believe him,” Lamb said. 

“So if that’s what he wants to do, I’ll be right there beside him because I think the most important thing is to continue showing all Americans that no matter how impassioned and, you know, committed these people who attacked the Capitol are, we are more committed.”

Trump on Tuesday insisted his speech an hour before last week’s siege on the Capitol– in which he told supporters they will “never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong” — was “totally appropriate.” 

The US leader did not address the prospect of additional threats in the days ahead, but said, “you always have to avoid violence.”

By Jide N.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution on Tuesday that is calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove and replace President Donald Trump after he was accused of inciting a deadly insurrection at the US Capitol last week.

Citing Trump’s role in inciting “a massive violent invasion of the United States Capitol” on Jan. 6, the day the president had summoned his supporters to Washington to protest the certification of the Electoral College vote formalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, the resolution, introduced by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., passed by a largely party-line vote of 223-205. 

The resolution asked Pence “to immediately use his powers under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments in the Cabinet to declare what is obvious to a horrified Nation: That the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office.”

But in a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by Vice President Mike Pence, as the House was taking procedural votes on a resolution calling on him to execute the president’s removal, he stated that he would not invoke the 25th Amendment to seek to remove Trump from office.

“With just eight days left in the president’s term, you and the Democratic Caucus are demanding that the Cabinet and I invoke the 25th Amendment. I do not believe that such a course of action is in the best interest of our Nation or consistent with the Constitution,” Mr. Pence wrote.

The House Democrats are expected to make another attempt to remove Trump by voting a second time to impeach him today, January 13.

The impeachment vote is set to take place a week after Trump falsely claimed that the election was stolen from him, inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol. Five people were killed including a police officer. 

By Jide N.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will soon become the largest political party in Africa and that developed nations will come learning the ropes of progressive politics from the party.

Bello said this when he spoke at the inauguration of the mobilization committee for the party’s membership registration/revalidation exercise on Tuesday, January 12.

“It is not out of place that every election in Kogi state, we are winning it with ease. We are going to repeat the same feat for the country by the grace of God.

By the time we are done with the registration of new members and revalidation of existing members in the country, APC will not just be the largest in Africa, but we are going to call on even the developed nations to come and learn not only from Nigeria, but from the APC in Nigeria.

We shall even teach some of our brothers who have just concluded some elections in rancour. I will not mention names, but we are going to be an institution for politics in Nigeria.”he said

By Jide N.

YouTube announced on Tuesday it is suspending President Trump’s channel for at least a week.

The video-sharing platform confirmed in a statement that a video uploaded to President Trump’s channel violated the site’s policy against inciting violence and as a result, the platform suspended his ability to share content on YouTube for at least seven days.

“After review, and in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, we removed new content uploaded to Donald J. Trump’s channel for violating our policies. It now has its 1st strike & is temporarily prevented from uploading new content for a *minimum* of 7 days,” YouTube said in a statement.

The video side added, “Given the ongoing concerns about violence, we will also be indefinitely disabling comments on President Trump’s channel, as we’ve done to other channels where there are safety concerns found in the comments section.”

YouTube didn’t provide any details of the video shared on Trump’s channel that violated its policy and led to the “first strike.” Among the six videos uploaded to the channel on Tuesday, five were clips from the far-right One America News (OAN) network with Trump’s comments delivered at an appearance in Alamo, Texas.

Under YouTube’s “three strikes” guidelines, if a channel receives a second strike within 90 days it will be suspended for two weeks; a third strike results in a permanent ban.

YouTube’s move comes after Twitter permanently banned Trump last Friday after the Capitol riot. Trump’s accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch, and other platforms also have been indefinitely or permanently blocked.

By Kingsley U.

President Donald Trump on Monday January 11, approved a state of emergency for Washington, D.C., through January 24, covering the date of US President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.

The move comes after pro-Trump rioters invaded the US Capitol building on January 6 in support of Trump’s false claims that the US election was stolen from him. Five people were killed in the deadly riots. 

The declaration was in response to a letter sent to Trump on Sunday by Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who already declared a 15-day public emergency for the city shortly after pro-Trump demonstrators stormed the US Capitol.

Federal Bureau of Investigation has also warned about plans of armed protests from Jan. 16 through Jan. 20 at all the 50 state capitols, and from Jan. 17 through Jan. 20 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Enditem

“Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from Jan. 11 to Jan. 24, 2021,” the Office of the White House Press Secretary said in a statement on Monday.

The emergency declaration authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to “coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the District of Columbia.”

FEMA is also “authorized to identify, mobilize, and use discretion to provide resources and equipment to prevent any impacts of violence or situations of emergency.”

Read the full statement below.

By Lucky B.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of Portugal has tested positive for Coronavirus as confirmed in a statement shared on the official website of the Portuguese Presidency on Monday night.

The 72-year-old who took office in 2016 and is seeking a second term in the country’s presidential election on January 24, is reportedly asymptomatic. The president is self-isolating in a residential area in Belem, in the west of central Lisbon and has suspended all his agenda for coming days

The president is largely a figurehead in Portugal, where the prime minister and his cabinet are in charge of day-to-day affairs. He wields large influence nevertheless, and he holds the authority to appoint the prime minister and dissolve parliament.

By Jide N.

Melania Trump has broken her silence on the attack on the US Capitol building to mourn all those who died, including four supporters of her husband, who incited the mob to violent action.

In a statement issued on Monday, the first lady expressed her condolences to the four Trump supporters killed during the attacks before naming the US Capitol Police officers who died in the line of duty.

“Most recently, my heart goes out to: Air Force Veteran, Ashli Babbitt, Benjamin Philips, Kevin Greeson, Roseanne Boyland, and Capitol Police Officers, Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. I pray for their families comfort and strength during this difficult time.”

She also lashed out at what she called “salacious gossip and unwarranted personal attacks” , likely responding to CNN reporting she was engaged in a furniture photoshoot during the insurrection before condemning the violence, saying she was “disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week”.

Read her full statement below.

Like all of you, I have reflected on the past year and how the invisible enemy, Covid-19, swept across our beautiful country. All Nations have experienced the loss of loved ones, economic pain, and the negative impacts of isolation.

As your First Lady, it has been inspiring to witness firsthand what the people of our great Nation will do for one another, especially when we are at our most vulnerable.

With nearly every experience I have had, I found myself carrying many individual’s stories home with me in my heart.

Most recently, my heart goes out to: Air Force Veteran, Ashli Babbitt, Benjamin Philips, Kevin Greeson, Roseanne Boyland, and Capitol Police Officers, Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. I pray for their families comfort and strength during this difficult time.

I am disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week. I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me – from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda. This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain.

Our Nation must heal in a civil manner. Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation’s Capitol. Violence is never acceptable.

As an American, I am proud of our freedom to express our viewpoints without persecution. It is one of the paramount ideals which America is fundamentally built on. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect that right. With that in mind, I would like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause, and look at things from all perspectives.

I implore people to stop the violence, never make assumptions based on the color of a person’s skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness. We must listen to one another, focus on what unites us, and rise above what divides us.

It is inspiring to see that so many have found a passion and enthusiasm in participating in an election, but we must not allow that passion to turn to violence. Our path forward is to come together, find our commonalities, and be the kind and strong people that I know we are.

Our country’s strength and character have revealed themselves in the communities that have been impacted by natural disasters and throughout this terrible pandemic that has affected all of us. The common thread in all of these challenging situations is American’s unwavering resolve to help one another. Your compassion has shown the true spirit of our country.

As I said over the summer, it is these defining moments that we will look back and tell our grandchildren that through empathy, strength, and determination, we were able to restore the promise of our future. Each of you are the backbone of this country. You are the people who continue to make the United States of America what it is, and who have the incredible responsibility of preparing our future generations to leave everything better than they found it.

It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your First Lady. I want to thank the millions of Americans who supported my husband and me over the past 4 years and shown the incredible impact of the American spirit. I am grateful to you all for letting me serve you on platforms which are dear to me.

Most importantly, I ask for healing, grace, understanding, and peace for our great Nation.

Every day let us remember that we are one Nation under God. God bless you all and God bless the United States of America.

By Kingsley U.

Ivanka Trump is reportedly planning to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20 against the wishes of her father, Donald Trump.

Donald Trump made it clear on Twitter that he won’t be present at his successor’s inauguration.

However, Ivanka is choosing to go, much to her father’s chagrin, as she is scrambling to save her aspiring political career.

“Ivanka is worried that her promising political career is in jeopardy and she’s doing whatever she can to save her reputation,” a White House insider told DailyMail.

However, Trump is against her decision.

“He said it’s an insult that she would even want to engage with the crooks that are trying to bring him down,” said the insider, adding that Trump said the family must stand together and put on a united front. 

“The president told his daughter that her presence at the inauguration will cost her thousands of supporters and would be the worst decision she could ever make,” the insider added.

But Ivanka is convinced that by attending Biden’s inauguration she will come across as “being a good sport and will gain future supporters,” the source states. 

“She said she has to protect her own political aspirations and isn’t about to muck it all up by attending her dad’s 2024 campaign kick-off which is set for the same day. She’s leaving that for her dad and Don Jr.”

By Jide N.