Latest news with #AnnaPaulinaLuna
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
WATCH: Republicans rally behind Trump, continue to support Musk amid 'big, beautiful' brawl
A "big, beautiful" brawl erupted on social media Thursday as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk aired their grievances for all to see after months of working together to cut government waste. House Republicans rallied behind the president and continued to support Musk when discussing the fallout with Fox News Digital. "Obviously, I have President Trump's back. I don't think that he should be impeached. Do I think that he was on the Jeffrey Epstein island? I don't think so," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said, referring to Musk calling for Trump's impeachment and suggestiong Trump was "in the Epstein files." Despite her defense, Luna admitted Musk is not a "terrible person," and both men have made "great contributions" to the Republican Party. "I assure you he crossed the line on what he said about the sitting president of the United States today," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said of Musk's allegations about Trump. But Roy joined Luna in defending Musk's contribution to cutting government waste through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "The bottom line is, we have a job to do. Elon is doing a great job in terms of the rescissions in terms of the DOGE cuts they identified, and I don't disagree with him about our need to go find more spending cuts. I don't. But you know, guys, keep it in the lines," Roy added. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., praised Trump Thursday for saving the country. "What's broken apart can be put back together, but you've got two strong personalities," Norman said of Trump and Musk. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn, dismissed the men's social media brawl, telling Fox News Digital, "They're the two biggest dogs in the pound. They're going to fight." "It's going to settle down at some point," Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, added. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Musk's tirade to Trump's bill, which is focused on working- and middle-class tax relief and not benefiting Musk and his companies enough. "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again," Leavitt said. In the first of several posts targeting the bill, and then Trump directly, Musk said, "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Ex-congressional candidate gets 3 years for threatening to have opponent killed
Tampa, Fla. — A former Florida Republican congressional candidate accused of stalking and plotting to have his primary opponent murdered by a purported foreign hit squad was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison. William Robert Braddock III, 41, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced in Tampa federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in February to sending an interstate transmission of a threat to injure. In 2021, Braddock and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna were both candidates in the primary election to represent the 13th Congressional District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives. Luna eventually won the primary and later the general election. She was re-elected last year. Anna Paulina Luna and William Braddock during a court hearing in June 2021 in Clearwater, Fla. Chris Urso / Tampa Bay Times via AP Braddock spent months disparaging Luna and attempting to inject himself into her life, investigators said. During a June 2021 telephone call with Luna's friend, GOP activist Erin Olszewski, Braddock threatened to have Luna murdered by a "Russian-Ukrainian hit squad" if she continued to poll well in the race for the 13th District. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaking in front a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on Capitol Hill on Nov. 19, 2024. Ben Curtis / AP Politico reported at the time that Braddock said the hit squad could kill Luna within 24 hours. "Luna's going to go down and I hope it's by herself," Braddock says in the recording, according to Politico, which said it had obtained the recording. "For the better or the good of the majority of the people, we've got to sacrifice the few." According to Politico, Braddock described the "hit squad" as being armed for "close-battle combat" to make sure nothing was left to chance. There was no evidence that Braddock, a former Marine, had such contacts in foreign organized crime or took any steps to carry out a murder plot. Later that year, Braddock flew to Thailand and eventually settled in the Philippines, officials said. He remained there until surrendering to authorities in Manila in 2023. He was taken back to the U.S. last fall to face trial.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
A former Florida Republican congressional candidate gets 3 years for threatening primary opponent
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida Republican congressional candidate accused of stalking and plotting to have his primary opponent murdered by a purported foreign hit squad was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison. William Robert Braddock III, 41, of St. Petersburg was sentenced in Tampa federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in February to sending an interstate transmission of a threat to injure. In 2021, Braddock and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna were both candidates in the primary election to represent the 13th Congressional District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives. Luna eventually won the primary and later the general election. She was re-elected last year. Braddock spent months disparaging Luna and attempting to inject himself into her life, investigators said. During a June 2021 telephone call with Luna's friend, GOP activist Erin Olszewski, Braddock threatened to have Luna murdered by a 'Russian-Ukrainian hit squad' if she continued to poll well in the race for the 13th District. There was no evidence that Braddock, a former Marine, had such contacts in foreign organized crime or took any steps to carry out a murder plot. Later that year, Braddock flew to Thailand and eventually settled in the Philippines, officials said. He remained there until surrendering to authorities in Manila in 2023. He was taken back to the U.S. last fall to face trial.
Reuters
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Venezuelans in El Salvador prison plead for freedom in video
May 13 (Reuters) - Venezuelans held in a high-security prison in El Salvador shouted 'freedom' and used a hand signal for help in a video published by the far-right One America News Network, a rare glimpse of the detainees since they were sent there by the U.S. in March. Matt Gaetz, a former U.S. lawmaker and ally of President Donald Trump, toured the prison with the conservative news outlet and Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna. As part of the tour on May 9, they visited the wing of the prison holding the deported Venezuelans, who the Trump administration alleges are members of the gang Tren de Aragua, OANN said. Video footage showed dozens of men pressed up against cell bars clad in white prison-issue shorts and shirts or shirtless. The men shouted as the tour passed through but could be heard calling to be liberated and saying 'Venezuela.' The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not comment on the video footage, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The cells in El Salvador's 'Terrorism Confinement Center' (CECOT) included the towering stacks of bunkbeds seen in another part of the prison commonly featured in media tours. One of the cells in the wing housing Venezuelans had a towel with a cross drawn onto it draped across the bars. Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act on March 15 to rapidly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members. While Trump's proclamation was blocked later that day, two planes carrying Venezuelans deported under the little-used wartime statute continued on to El Salvador. Family members, many of whom deny the gang allegations, have been unable to communicate with the men, who have no access to phones, attorneys or legal venues to contest their detention. On Tuesday, they pored over the footage, looking for their loved ones. Reuters spoke with a dozen people who said they recognized their family members. Reuters could not independently verify whether the men the family members recognized were in the prison. The U.S. has not released a list of the names of the deportees. Angie Rios, a U.S. citizen, spotted her husband Jesus Rios, 22, in the video, calling out to the camera pleading for freedom in English and in Spanish. She felt a mix of emotions, she said, 'confused, desperate, angry, hopeful, frustrated.' After seeing the video she was barely able to get out of bed, she said. Maria Alejandra Falcon recognized her son, 25-year-old Yolfran Escobar, hugging the bars of his cell. 'Since I saw it I haven't stopped crying and thinking what can I do to help my son?' she said. 'It is a pain so great it feels like they are tearing out my soul.' Paola Moreno, sister of Maikel Moreno, 20, said she felt helpless seeing her brother in the cells. 'He is not a criminal, he doesn't deserve this,' she said. On a post on X, Gaetz highlighted allegations that the men were gang members. "These are the Tren de Aragua guys democrats want back in America," Gaetz said in a post accompanying a video clip. Trump nominated Gaetz to serve as his attorney general in late 2024 before taking office but Gaetz withdrew in the face of steep Senate opposition over his past conduct. He now hosts a talk show on OANN. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the prison in late March with pool reporters, later sharing a video on social media with prisoners in the backdrop that warned of the consequences of being in the U.S. without legal immigration status.
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Patriot Act repeal bill puts controversial law in the crosshairs: 'Let's end the abuse!'
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has introduced a one-page bill to repeal the controversial Patriot Act, which was passed on the heels of the horrific Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The text of the measure, dubbed the "American Privacy Restoration Act," reads, "The USA PATRIOT Act … is repealed, and each provision of law amended by such Act is amended to read as such provision read on October 25, 2001." "For over two decades, rogue actors within our U.S. intelligence agencies have used the Patriot Act to create the most sophisticated, unaccountable surveillance apparatus in the Western world," Luna said, according to a press release. "My legislation will strip the deep state of these tools and protect every American's fourth amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. It's past time to rein in our intelligence agencies and restore the right to privacy. Anyone trying to convince you otherwise is using 'security' as an excuse to erode your freedom." In a post on X, Luna thanked Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., for cosponsoring the bill. "Let's end the abuse!" she declared in the post. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has previously pushed bills involving repealing the Patriot Act, pointed out in a post on X last week that just three Republicans voted against passing it in October 2001 — one of them was former Rep. Ron Paul, the father of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. "Abuse of the PATRIOT Act over time revealed they were justified. Imagine the pressure they were under just one month after 9/11. I'm sure they were called every name in the book," Massie wrote.
