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Trumpet of Patriots are dealt humiliating blow after bombarding Aussies with spam texts in multi-million dollar election campaign

Trumpet of Patriots are dealt humiliating blow after bombarding Aussies with spam texts in multi-million dollar election campaign

Daily Mail​04-05-2025

Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots have suffered a brutal defeat at the federal election despite spending millions of dollars on campaigning.
The newly named political party picked up just 2.1 per cent of the primary vote nationally by 11pm on Saturday and failed to pick up any seats.
Despite the billionaire party founder spending tens of millions on advertising and orchestrating a mass text campaign, the party struggled to win over voters.
In NSW, Trumpet of Patriots picked up just 1.9 per cent of the primary vote while in Victoria they performed the weakest out of all the states with just 1.2 per cent of the vote.
The party performed the strongest in Queensland with 3.52 per cent of the vote.
Suellen Wrightson, the party's leader, received 3.72 per cent of the vote in the Hunter, near the NSW Central Coast, as of 11pm on Saturday.
Ms Wrightson's result may not come as too big of a shock as she spent little time campaigning in the electorate.
The party leader thanked her fellow Hunter candidates on social media on Saturday evening before locking her Facebook and X accounts.
'To my fellow Hunter candidates, thanks for a respectful & engaging debate about what we need in our community,' she wrote on X.
'One thing we can all agree on is Australia is the best country on earth & our collective future is worth fighting for.'
Trumpet of Patriots' candidates performed poorly across the board.
In the Sydney electorate of Reid, David Sarikaya received 1.5 per cent of the vote, failing to defeat Labor's Sally Sitou.
During the campaign, Mr Sarikaya faced multiple reports that he had formerly been bankrupt.
Trumpet of Patriots' aggressive campaigning techniques failed to pay off.
Aussies were left furious after being bombarded by text messages from Harry Fong, the party's lead Senate candidate for Queensland.
The messages are signed off by Mr Fong, and urge people to 'Vote1 (sic) Trumpet of Patriots'.
Social media was flooded with people complaining about the messages last weekend, with the correspondence ramping up at the start of the week.
Frustrated Aussies were able to get their own back on Mr Fong after finding the accredited lawyer's mobile phone number online and sharing it on social media.
'His name is Harry Fong and his info is below. He's removed his contact info from his QLD Bar bio but I found a previous one with his mobile and email,' one man posted.
'I've never been so pleased to be a night owl as I am today. Have at him kids, text him and let him know how much you love his spam and feel free to share this post as wide as possible so everyone can reply to his texts!'

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14 dead after ‘Israeli forces and allies fired at crowd near Gaza aid site'
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  • The Herald Scotland

14 dead after ‘Israeli forces and allies fired at crowd near Gaza aid site'

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Six dead after ‘Israeli forces and allies fired at crowd near Gaza aid site'
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Powys County Times

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Six dead after ‘Israeli forces and allies fired at crowd near Gaza aid site'

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GHF has said it does not work with the Abu Shabab group. Hussein Shamimi, who was also in the crowd, said his 14-year-old cousin was among those killed. 'There was an ambush… the Israelis from one side and Abu Shabab from another,' he said. Mohamed Kabaga, a Palestinian displaced from northern Gaza, said he saw masked men firing toward the crowds after trying to organise them. 'They fired at us directly,' he said while being treated at Nasser Hospital, in the nearby city of Khan Younis. He had been shot in the neck, as were three other people seen by an Associated Press journalist at the hospital. Mr Kabaga said he saw around 50 masked men with 4×4 vehicles in the area around the roundabout, close to Israeli military lines. 'We didn't receive anything,' he said. 'They shot us.' Nasser Hospital said several men had been shot in the upper body, including some in the head. 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Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel says it will continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that even then, Israel will maintain open-ended control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population to other countries, a plan rejected by most of the international community, including the Palestinians, who view it as a blueprint for their forcible expulsion.

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