EXCLUSIVE Beware Meghan Markle's kiss of death! Political insiders' intriguing warning to Kamala Harris as she prepares for comeback
'I'm so excited to see that kind of representation,' the Duchess of Sussex said in an interview from her Southern California garden. 'You know, for me, being biracial, growing up, whether it was a doll or a person in office, you need to see someone who looks like you in some capacity.'
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The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Account tied to Trump nominee posted conspiracy theories about Epstein, the 2020 election and Covid, report says
A social media account tied to President Donald Trump 's controversial pick to take over the Bureau of Labor Statistics has a history of posting various far-right conspiracy theories – the latest eyebrow-raising report to emerge about what is often a nonpartisan nominee. Last week, Trump announced he would nominate Erwin John 'EJ' Antoni III, the chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, the conservative group that created Project 2025, to replace former BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer. A surface-level review of Antoni, 37, shows that he is a loyal Trump supporter who has aligned himself with the current administration's ideals – contributing to Project 2025, bashing former president Joe Biden's record, and even being a 'bystander' at the January 6 attack on the Capitol. But a more in-depth look at Antoni's history online indicates that a now-deleted X account, which once used Antoni's name, posted theories about Jeffrey Epstein's death, Covid-19's origins, and the validity of the 2020 presidential election, according to WIRED. A website archive of the account 'PhDofbombsaway,' shows that it used the name 'Dr. Erwin J. Antoni III,' 'Dr. J.,' as well as 'Dr. Curtis LeMay,' – an apparent reference to the Air Force general largely credited with planning and executing mass bombings on Japan during World War II, as well as advocating for nuclear weapon usage. The account's profile picture was of a fiery mushroom cloud, not unlike the one associated with nuclear weapon detonations. 'All or nothing. Do it die,' the account posted in late November 2020 in response to a tweet encouraging Republicans to stand up to 'fraudulently mailed machines.' The account consistently re-posted false claims about election fraud and theories about stolen ballots from prominent accounts. On January 5, 2021, hours before the attack on the Capitol, the account posted a reference to violence in the Bible while responding to a tweet from Trump in which he encouraged Republicans to 'fight.' 'Samson has his arms around the temple pillars, and although he may not survive, he will bring it all down on his enemies,' it posted, referring to the story of Samson receiving strength from God to rise up against his enemies. Last week, photos of Antoni outside the Capitol on January 6 circulated online. The White House confirmed Antoni was present as a 'bystander' who wandered over to see coverage of it on the news. Other posts from the account indicate the person running it was ingrained in far-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories. In November 2019, the account responded to a person theorizing about Epstein's death by suicide, claiming, 'Epstein didn't kill himself.' That theory was widely circulated among far-right communities online and continues to be a central part of concerns about government transparency around Epstein. Later that month, the same account replied to a tweet that seemed to make a sexual innuendo about former vice president Kamala Harris with its own. 'She does her best work when life brings her to her knees,' the account wrote. The Independent has asked the White House for comment. Antoni declined to comment to Wired. While the account has since been deleted, Antoni remains present online with an X account that mostly posts Trump-aligned views of the economy or economic data. But his nomination has been subject to criticism even before NBC News reported his presence at the Capitol, or Wired reported about his alleged former X account. The president previously fired McEntarfer, a career civil servant, after expressing dissatisfaction with the BLS's job numbers reports. Trump insinuated, without evidence, that McEntarfer had manipulated the numbers to make the president look bad because the figures did not line up with Trump's rhetoric about the economy. Some economists and lawmakers have expressed concern that Trump's new nominee could be more inclined to alter BLS numbers to appease the president. While there is no rule about who may be the BLS commissioner, they are typically expected to be nonpartisan, given that the BLS is an independent fact-checking arm of the Department of Labor. Upon announcing Antoni's nomination, the president vowed that his nominee would 'ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE.' Antoni previously tweeted, calling for a 'better' way to collect and disseminate BLS data and criticizing the current method of doing so. Antoni's nomination will require Senate confirmation. So far, at least two Democratic senators have called for the Senate to reject Antoni's nomination.
Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
Does Trump have the power to ban mail-in ballots in U.S. elections?
Aug 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump wants to ban mail-in ballots in federal elections, a form of voting popular with many Americans. About three in 10 ballots were cast through the mail in the 2024 general election, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Trump, a Republican, does not have clear legal authority to do this, though his allies in Congress and state governments could enact policies barring the practice. Here is a look at Trump's authority and how the law could be changed. Only states and the U.S. Congress can pass laws regulating elections. A unilateral ban by the president on mail-in ballots would likely exceed Trump's limited authority to enforce existing law. In a Monday social media post, Trump said mail-in ballots are susceptible to fraud and that he would lead a movement to ban them, beginning with an executive order bringing "honesty" to the November 2026 midterm elections. Republicans have filed scores of lawsuits seeking to end mail-in voting in recent years, citing possible fraud. Democrats generally support mail-in ballots as a way to expand access to voting. Voter fraud in the U.S. is extremely rare, multiple studies have shown. White House representatives provided a general statement about Trump's election policies but did not answer questions about his legal authority to ban mail-in ballots or what an executive order would say. States are responsible for administering their votes under the U.S. Constitution, and Republican-controlled legislatures could pass laws banning mail-in ballots so long as they do not conflict with federal law. Congress could ban the use of mail-in ballots in federal elections and override state laws protecting their use, but Trump's Republican Party has slim majorities in Congress and would face difficulty getting past opposition by Democrats. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats. To pass a mail-in ballot ban they would need to end the filibuster, a longstanding tradition requiring 60 of the chamber's 100 members to approve most legislation. State and federal laws banning mail-in voting could be challenged in court as unconstitutional impediments to voting. Presidents in the U.S. have some discretion in enforcing election laws, and Trump could try to use those powers to end or restrict mail-in voting, though it is unclear how. In June, a federal judge blocked parts of an executive order by Trump requiring voters to prove they are U.S. citizens and attempting to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The Trump administration is appealing. "The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections," said U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama.
Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
S&P affirms 'AA+' credit rating for US, cites impact of tariff revenue
Aug 19 (Reuters) - S&P Global on Monday affirmed its "AA+" credit rating on the U.S., saying the revenue from President Donald Trump's tariffs will offset the fiscal hit from his massive tax-cut and spending bill. Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law in July after it was passed by the Republican-controlled Congress. The bill, which delivered new tax breaks, also made Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent. "Amid the rise in effective tariff rates, we expect meaningful tariff revenue to generally offset weaker fiscal outcomes that might otherwise be associated with the recent fiscal legislation, which contains both cuts and increases in tax and spending," S&P said in a statement. "At this time, it appears that meaningful tariff revenue has the potential to offset the deficit-raising aspects of the recent budget legislation." The U.S. reported a $21 billion jump in customs duty collections from Trump's tariffs in July, but the government budget deficit still grew nearly 20% in the same month to $291 billion. Interest on the public debt also continued to grow, hitting $1.013 trillion in the first 10 months of the fiscal year, an increase of 6%, or $57 billion, over the prior-year period due to slightly higher interest rates and increased debt levels. Since returning to power in January this year, Trump has launched a global trade war with a range of tariffs that have targeted individual products and countries. The Republican president has set a baseline tariff of 10% on all imports to the U.S., as well as additional duties on some items and trading partners. S&P, which became the first ratings agency to cut the pristine U.S. government rating in 2011, said the outlook on the U.S. rating remains stable. The ratings agency said it expects the Federal Reserve, which Trump has criticized this year for not cutting interest rates, "to navigate the challenges of lowering domestic inflation and addressing financial market vulnerabilities." It projected the country's general government deficit to average 6.0% of GDP during the 2025-2028 period, down from 7.5% in 2024 and from an average 9.8% of GDP in 2020-2023. S&P said it could lower the rating over the next two to three years if already high deficits increase. "The ratings could also come under pressure if political developments weigh on the strength of American institutions and the effectiveness of long-term policymaking or independence of the Federal Reserve," it said. S&P, however, said it could raise the U.S. rating in the event of sustained economic growth and adjustments to the U.S. fiscal profile that would diminish recent increases in the country's debt burden. There was no reaction in markets on Tuesday to S&P's credit rating affirmation, which follows a U.S. sovereign credit downgrade by Moody's in May, when that ratings agency cut the triple-A U.S. rating by one notch, citing rising debt levels. The U.S. national debt load surged above a record $37 trillion last week. James Ragan, co-chief investment officer and director of investment management research at D.A. Davidson, said the S&P rating affirmation was an acknowledgment of the meaningful tariff revenue generated so far. "That's all good revenue (coming) in, but that's also a drag on the economy, so I think we don't know the impact of that going forward," he said.
